THE cause of death of a man thought to have been murdered in an Earley hotel could take months to establish, police have said.

An initial post-mortem examination proved inconclusive after the man in his forties was found dead at the Elmhurst Hotel in Church Road on Wednesday morning.

Two Reading men, 28 and 38, remain in police custody on suspicion of his murder.

The pair were arrested close to the Chatham Street roundabout around an hour after police were first called to reports of an assault.

Paramedics raced to the hotel at around 10am on Wednesday but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "A post mortem was held yesterday but proved inconclusive.

"Toxicology reports have been requested and therefore it might be a number of months before a formal cause of death is established.

"The victim is scheduled to be formally identified this afternoon."

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to police on the non-emergency number 101.