THE headless body of a Portland man was found in a burning car, an inquest heard.

The head of David John Paulton, 27, of Easton Road, was later discovered behind the driver's seat.

It is believed he had tied a rope attached to a telegraph pole around his neck and driven off.

Mr Paulton, an unmarried carpenter who was prone to periods of withdrawal and was described by a friend as a "Jekyll and Hyde" character, was found in his car shortly after 6pm on January 6 on a country lane near Portesham.

His Renault had collided with a telegraph pole and was destroyed by fire. No suicide note was found.

Detective Inspector Marcus Hester said Mr Paulton's seatbelt was buckled and his foot was pressing down the accelerator pedal. His other foot was under the clutch pedal. The driver's window was wound down and an empty rope reel was found in the back of the car.

He said: "It's my opinion the car fire was not part of any plan - if there was a plan - and it's possible a note could have been destroyed.

"It is one of the most considerable acts of planning that I've seen to take someone's life."

Forensic pathologist Alan Anscombe said: "The deceased was decapitated by tying a rope around his neck and the other end around a telegraph pole and driving off."

He gave the cause of death as a decapitation injury.

Peter Toombes, of Grove Road, Portland, a friend of Mr Paulton's from his days at Royal Manor School, Portland, described him as "unpredictable - and good fun to be with because of it".

Mr Toombes said: "He would often be a recluse, but when he came out he was the life and soul.

"He was a Jekyll and Hyde character. Sometimes all his friends knew to leave him alone for a few days."

Mr Toombes said there was no major problem preying on Mr Paulton's mind, but on the morning of his death he said the keen biker was "rather subdued". He added: "He didn't talk to us a great deal about personal things."

Another close friend of Mr Paulton, Andrew Ross, of Dewlish, said he never talked about harming himself and described him as 'easy-going'.

Coroner Michael Johston recorded an open verdict and said: "I've no evidence of the intention in David's mind. I'm at a loss to know why this should have happened and what triggered it off. I'm as satisfied as I can be that nobody else was involved."