A mother and her 17-year-old daughter were found dead in their £620,000 countryside home surrounded by burnt-out BBQs, an inquest heard on Thursday.

The bodies of Suzan Mahmoud and her daughter Davina Allen were found inside their five-bedroom home in Hampshire’s New Forest National Park.

The discovery was made by 42-year-old Ms Mahmoud’s other daughter, the hearing was told.

Following the double tragedy, just after Christmas last year, an inquest was officially opened on Thursday into their deaths.

Winchester Coroner’s Court, Hants, heard that Ms Mahmoud and Davina were found lying in a bedroom surrounded by burnt-out BBQs. All windows and doors had been closed.

A preliminary cause of death was given as nitrate intoxication.

A full inquest into the circumstances behind the double death will take place next year.

Ms Mahmoud and Davina’s bodies were discovered at the detached bungalow on Dec 29 last year. A young woman was later seen wrapped up in a blanket with police.

The property, which was sold for £620,000 in January 2022, sits opposite a “luxury” holiday park in Downton near the village of Milford on Sea, in the New Forest.

Debbie Smith, a 51-year-old hairdresser, and Tom Stockwell, a 50-year-old builder, said they saw three ambulances and around 25 police officers on the scene, although no police tape was put up around the house.

Ms Smith said: “It’s so quiet around here – nothing happens around here. It’s very sleepy.

“The family purchased the house last January, but didn’t really move in. They were doing renovations and they had done a lot of work on the house.

“We know they spoke to another neighbour on Christmas Eve. On the day [of the deaths], we saw another daughter wrapped in a blanket outside with police.

“It’s incredibly sad, I can’t stop thinking about it. Just horrific. We don’t really know anything about what happened.

“When something like this happens, you’re just a bit worried.”

Hampshire Constabulary previously described the deaths as “unexplained, but not suspicious”.

At the time, a spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: “We were called just after 1.45pm on Thursday December 29 to a report of the bodies of a 17-year-old girl and 42-year-old woman having been found at an address in Shorefield Road, Downton.

“The deaths are being treated as unexplained, but not suspicious.Their family has been informed and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”