'Weeks' for cause of Stuart Cable's death, police say

Police say it may be six weeks before the cause of former Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable's death is established.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil.

Cable, 40, was found dead at his home near Aberdare on Monday.

The cause of death will not be known until toxicology tests are completed.

The results can take up to six weeks, South Wales Police said.

The force added that an inquest into the TV and radio presenter's death has not been open and adjourned yet.

Officers previously said they were not speculating on the cause of death but there were no suspicious circumstances.

Cable was due to play the Download festival this coming weekend with his new band, Killing for Company and release their debut album.

He spent part of Sunday evening drinking with regulars at the Welsh Harp Inn at nearby Trecynon in the Cynon Valley, where he was a familiar figure.

Local people said he was in the habit of driving his Chrysler 300 sedan to the pub and walking home afterwards.

Floral tributes pictured on Monday have doubled overnight

The windscreen of the car, parked directly in front of the pub, has now been covered with flowers left by grieving fans.

At least a dozen shocked regulars gathered outside to raise a final glass to their friend on Monday afternoon.

Many appeared grief-stricken and did not wish to speak.

But landlady "Jan" gave a brief statement on behalf of everyone.

"He was a lovely, lovely boy and everybody liked him," she said.

"We are all very upset and nobody wants to say any more."

At his home, which is near Cwmaman where he was born and grew up, fans are continuing to leave tributes which BBC Radio Wales reporter Steven Fairclough said had doubled overnight.

One local leaving flowers, Joy Clode, said: "I remember him as a small boy. He had so much more to give didn't he?

"He was always happy to say hello, always happy to have a photograph with you. Just a lovely, lovely person."

Radio presenter and DJ Bethan Elfyn, who worked with Cable at Radio Wales, where he presented a show on Saturday nights, said: "I saw him in the last few weeks. Lots of things were going well for him.

Floral tributes left on Stuart Cable's car

"He was enjoying life on tour supporting the Alarm and being on the radio playing the music he loved, so it was a shock to hear the news yesterday.

"I think the tributes flowing in are a testiment to how much affect Stuart had across the board."

South Wales Central assembly member Leanne Wood paid tribute to Cable at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on Tuesday.

She said: "I think it is fitting for this national assembly to acknowledge Stuart's contribution to music, to the valleys and to our collective civic pride in being Welsh.

"For those of us of a certain generation, Stuart and his band the Stereophonics were a central part of the 'cool Cymru' phenomenon which came about following the 'yes' vote which set up this place.

"Stuart helped make our country cool.

"Too few people from the valleys make it big. Stuart did. We are proud of him and he will be truly missed."

His former Stereophonics bandmate Kelly Jones has also spoken of his shock and disbelief over his childhood friend's death.

The pair fell out after Cable was sacked from the band in 2003, said they made up their differences a year afterwards and had been friends again for the last five years.

He had been due to meet Cable for a drink on the day he died and said he last spoke to the drummer on Saturday, the day Stereophonics played to a sell-out crowd at the Cardiff City Stadium.

"He wished me good luck for the gig in Cardiff and his girlfriend asked me to go down to his 40th birthday a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't make it as we had commitments in London," he said.

"I texted him on his birthday and said 'happy 40th'. He said 'I never thought I'd make it to 40', and I said 'Well, you'll live to 100'.

"And that's one of the last things we said to each other, which is quite strange really. But he was just a character, wasn't he?"

Stereophonics' website was replaced by a smiling picture of Cable and the words "in loving memory".

Fans can leave a tribute by e-mailing [e-mail].