Coroner plays down Houston cause-of-death rumours

The Los Angeles Coroner's office has this afternoon denied reports that drowning has been ruled out as the cause of Whitney Houston's death.

She was found dead in the bath at a Beverly Hills hotel on Saturday.

Showbiz website TMZ claimed earlier that the Coroner had informed her family that there was not enough water in the singer's lungs to constitute drowning.

"That did not come from us," said assistant LA coroner Ed Winter.

Mr Winter insisted that the cause of the singer's death is still not confirmed.

"It's too early to say," he said. "The autopsy was done yesterday and there still is additional testing that's ongoing."