THE circumstances surrounding the death of a woman found tied up in her home look set to remain a mystery, an inquest heard this week.

Sharon Pickering, aged 30, was found dead by her father last April, in the living room of her flat in Thurston Close, Great Sankey.

An inquest at Warrington Coroner's Court on Tuesday looked at the possibility that Miss Pickering committed suicide, was engaging in an erotic act, or whether a third party was involved. The court was unable to come to definite conclusions.

Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said: "We are all left with a sense of mystery that I don't think is ever going to be answered."

Miss Pickering's father Bernard found his daughter's body on the night of Sunday, April 13, 2003.

She was sat on the floor against a chair with her legs out in front of her, her ankles and wrists tied and a ligature around her middle and around her neck.

Police officers found no evidence that anybody else was involved in Miss Pickering's death and a post mortem examination report revealed that there were no signs of a struggle or that she had taken any drugs.

But when discussing whether Miss Pickering could have tied herself up, her father said that his daughter struggled to tie an ordinary knot.

The court also heard that it was unlikely she committed suicide as she did not have a history of depression.

Mr Pickering said: "She was a loving, caring girl and there is no way in this world I can see how she could have got herself into this position."

Cause of death was recorded as asphyxiation due to compression around the neck and an open verdict was recorded.