THE body of a woman found in a Bournemouth flat could have been there for six weeks before it was discovered.

Derinne Atkins, 44, was found dead at an address in Southbourne on Wednesday May 23. Tests are now being carried out to establish the cause of her death and to determine exactly how long her body had been in the flat.

Derinne lived in a house divided into four flats in Beresford Road off Southbourne Grove.

Neighbours are thought to have called police when they became concerned about a smell in the property.

Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: “The first I knew about it was when the police came on Wednesday evening.

“I didn’t really know her because she was a lonely person who didn’t talk to many people. She was always on her own.”

Derinne was an ex-employee at the Daily Echo, where she worked in a number of roles including training manager, special publications manager, telesales receptionist, retail manager and field sales executive.

Her estranged husband Paul Atkins said: “I received a call from the coroner on Thursday morning and I’ve been told she could have been there for six weeks.

“She had been living on her own. I had been trying to get in touch with her.”

Derinne had many friends at the Daily Echo including Jayne Edmunds who said: “She was full of beans and always the joker, while having a creative flair and a very bright mind.

“She was always a kind and |gentle soul and I’m so sad that she encountered such a tragic and unhappy end to her life.”

Advertisement manager Tracy Hayden said Derinne’s job as training manager was “a role she absolutely loved” and added: “She made many friends during this time and people always loved her remarkable wit and very quick sense of humour.”

Gary Keeping said: “She |always had a look of mischief in her eyes and was always approachable and easy to talk to.”

Tracy Deegan added: “She could tell a joke about any subject – |we used to challenge her – I |don’t know how she remembered them all.”

Emma Hardy praised Derinne’s “caustic wit and sense of humour” and added: “She was decent and fair.”

Derinne, formerly Derinne Young, was born in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, and moved to Dorset with her family when she was a child.

She had numerous different jobs and worked for Windsor Telecom after leaving the Daily Echo.

An inquest will be held into her death at a date to be fixed.