THE death of an asylum seeker on the Bibby Stockholm barge is not thought to be suspicious, an inquest into his death has heard.

An Albanian asylum seeker died of compression of the neck caused by suspension by ligature aboard the Bibby Stockholm barge.

Leonard Farruku was found unresponsive aboard the accommodation vessel at Portland Port on December 12, the hearing to open the inquest into his death was told.

Coroner Rachael Griffin said there were not thought to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the 27-year-old.

She told the Bournemouth hearing: “At the time of his death, Mr Farruku was residing on the Bibby Stockholm at Portland Port in Dorset.

“He was a single gentleman and he was unemployed at the time of his death.

“He died on December 12, 2023 on the Bibby Stockholm.

“Police and paramedics had been called to reports of an unresponsive male. The gentleman was confirmed deceased at the scene.”

The inquest was told that Mr Farruku’s body was formally identified by his cousin Maranglen Farruku at the Holly Tree Lodge mortuary in Bournemouth.

Coroner’s officer Nikki Muller said: “He is being supported by officers of Dorset Police.”

She added that a post-mortem examination was carried out by Dr Russell Delaney who gave a cause of death as “compression of the neck” caused by “suspension by ligature”.

Ms Griffin said: “There is no evidence of third-party involvement or suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.”

The coroner said that she would be requesting statements for the full inquest from Mr Farruku’s family, the Home Office, Portland Port Authority, security providers Isca, Landry and King which operates the Bibby Stockholm as well as Dorset Council.

Ms Griffin adjourned the hearing until a pre-inquest review to be held on July 9.

No family members were present at the short hearing.

Home Secretary James Cleverly previously said that Mr Farruku’s sudden death would be “fully” investigated.

The Daily Telegraph, which first reported the deceased’s name, has stated he paid 4,000 euros to cross the English Channel in a small boat to arrive in the country.

His sister Jola Dushku, 33, who lives in Lombardy in Italy, told the newspaper: “When I spoke with him last time, he told me that the conditions in that boat were not bad but they were treated by the guards like animals.

“According to our relatives who are in touch with the police, Leonard that night at 11pm in the evening had some problems and was calmed down by the security guard.

“At 3am he was found dead. We do not have more details about how he died.”