The case of a woman found dead in her fire-damaged car on Thursday, February 11th, has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission after it was revealed she had spoken to police earlier in the day.

Claire Noble was discovered dead in her vehicle in Pen Y Cwm, near Solva, that afternoon.

An inquest has been opened with the medical causes of death listed as asphyxia and carbon monoxide intoxication.

A close friend of Claire’s, Zoe Ford, said she had spoken to Claire just hours before her death.

“She was always friendly and one of the nicest people you could ever meet,” said Zoe.

“I spent time with her a couple of weeks ago and you wouldn’t have thought anything was wrong.” Zoe described Claire as a caring mother and a lovely, genuine person.

A host of tributes have also been left on the 33-year-old’s Facebook page, with one message reading: “I will remember you as a total star, goodbye Claire.”

Another simply said: “Goodnight sweetheart.”

Following Claire’s death, some of her close friends have raised concerns about the level of support for vulnerable adults in the county. One said he and others had contacted care workers on numerous occasions in recent times.

A spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council confirmed that Claire was known to the authority.

“As this case will be the subject of a coroner’s inquest we are unable to comment in detail at present.

“We are able to confirm that Claire Noble was known to the Community Mental Health Team and had been seen regularly over a fairly lengthy period.”

A spokesman for Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed officers had attended a small fire in an unoccupied vehicle in Ffynnon Wen, St Davids, at around 9.40am on the day Claire died.

“The owner of a vehicle was located and spoken to,” said the spokesman.

“She gave a plausible explanation for the minor damage to her vehicle and gave no cause of concern for her welfare.”

Claire, a former St Davids resident, was living in Solva at the time of her death.