A MURDER investigation launched into the death of a man in an Earley hotel has been downgraded as police release two men without charge.

The men from Reading had been arrested on suspicion of murdering Declan Walsh - who has now been formally identified - but were set free due to insufficient evidence.

Investigators are now treating the death as unexplained and will continue their enquiries along those lines.

Mr Walsh, 41, was found at the Elmhurst Hotel in Church Road on Wednesday morning after police were called to reports of a man being assaulted.

Paramedics later confirmed him dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination returned inconclusive results and investigators say it could be a matter of months before a definitive cause of death is established through toxicology reports.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Brown, of TVP’s Major Crime Unit, said: "As a result of the post mortem and the enquiries to date we are no longer treating this as a murder investigation, unless any new evidence comes to light.

"However, we will continue to conduct a thorough unexplained death investigation on behalf of the coroner, to determine how Declan Walsh died.

"Our sincere condolences and thoughts are with Mr Walsh’s friends and family at this extremely difficult time.

"I would urge anyone who hasn’t already come forward with information about Declan Walsh’s death to contact police immediately."

Anyone with details about the death is urged to call police on the non-emergency number 101.