A woman was found dead at her home yesterday, along with her dog who is believed to have starved to death.

Police found the body of the woman, believed to be in her 50's or 60's, opposite Figge’s Marsh in Mitcham, on Tuesday morning after neighbours reported they had not seen her for several weeks.

The woman, named locally as Andrea Thompson, lived alone with a small Yorkshire terrier and it is understood she was estranged from her family and did not have visitors.

Tom McDermott, co-chairman of the Crusoe Road Plus residents’ association, said her death came as a shock to their neighbourhood.

The 73-year-old said: “We were informed by our local councillor Nick Draper [Colliers Wood ward], that police broke down the door and found her upstairs.

“We thought she was in because the upstairs light was on every night. We didn’t know that it came on automatically with a timer.

“She was intelligent and well-spoken. It is a sad way to go really.”

Other neighbours described how Mrs Thompson had a long-running dispute with the owners of a factory next door, and at one point had even unsuccessfully taken them to court because she believed they were invading her privacy.

Her body was removed from the house on Tuesday afternoon and a file will be prepared for the coroner in advance of an inquest.

A Metropolitan police spokesman said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

Did you know Mrs Thompson? Pay your respects by leaving a comment below, tweeting us at @WimbledonNews or email: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.