THE inquest into the death of Arnis Zalkans has been deferred until after the inquest into schoolgirl Alice Gross, police say.

The body of Alice, 14, was found hidden in the River Brent on September 30, almost a month after she went missing from her home in Hanwell.

Zalkalns, prime suspect in her murder, was found hanging in woodland at Boston Manor Park on October 4.

Zalkalns had served seven years in prison in his native Latvia for murdering his wife Rudite.

He had been living in Ealing with a new partner and child at the time of Alice's disappearance.

CCTV showed him on the Grand Union Canal towpath on a bicycle 15 minutes after Alice had walked past.

The inquest into Alice’s death was opened and adjourned in October and is set to resume at the end of January.