A grieving mother is hoping a public appeal to trace her dead son’s missing car might shed more light on the tragedy.

Elizabeth Lennon says she will never be able to come to terms with her son’s sudden death unless the mystery of who took his car from outside his house in Wilson Road, Wyke, can be solved.

Detectives say 33-year-old Robert Lennon’s blue Volkswagen Polo was last seen in the Tong Street area of the city at 6.30am on the day he was found dead.

It is believed Mr Lennon, who had moved back to be near family in Wyke a year earlier after splitting with his partner, had died hours before it was spotted. Detectives have stressed there is nothing to suggest any foul play but speaking after an opening of the inquest into his death yesterday, Detective Inspector Steve Snow said it was believed the car had been stolen.

He earlier told acting Bradford coroner Professor Paul Marks that although lines of inquiry were ongoing, there had been no charges. He said an investigation had been started by detectives because it was the sudden death but it was then that family had reported the car, registration R52 JUM, was missing. It had been outside his home while he had been drinking with friends.

Mr Lennon’s body was discovered at teatime on January 28 after he had failed to answer family phone calls.

His mother said: “We knew something was wrong because he’d not got back to any of us.

“He was my beautiful boy and now he is gone. It was a complete shock. He was a loving man, well-respected by everyone. He was always happy and jolly. We can’t believe he’s gone.

“He was happy to be back in Wyke and was planning his future and looking forward to it. We are struggling to come to terms with what has happened and have no idea what happened to the car which was mine but he was the main driver. He wasn’t the sort to leave the keys in it. There was no sign inside the house of any trouble.”

The inquest, which was adjourned, heard that a second post-mortem examination has been carried out and the results of toxicology and histology were awaited. Det Insp Snow said after the hearing: “We want to hear from anyone who knows where Robert’s car is now or who has seen it.

“We need to find out so we can complete the picture. It looks as though his death was a sudden, tragic one. There is nothing to suggest third party involvement in that but it’s the missing car that is a mystery. Was it an opportunist who took it or had someone been at the house with him?”

Mrs Lennon said: “If we can find out what happened to the car then maybe we will be a little nearer to getting some closure.”

Mr Lennon’s funeral will be held at Parkwood Crematorium, Elland, on Friday. Anyone with information should call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.