Stephen Gately died of natural causes

This would appear to confirm speculation that Mr Gately, who died after a night on the town on the island, choked on his vomit.

At a brief court hearing in the island’s capital Palma, a judge said that Mr Gately’s body could be taken home.

The 33-year-old was found dead on Saturday. He was discovered on the sofa in his apartment in Port Andratx after a night out partying with his partner Andrew Cowles.

Earlier the family lawyer announced the sudden death was not due 'foul play'.

Gerald Kean said: “This sort of thing does happen, we are absolutely happy that there is no foul play.”

The family are certain no drugs were involved in his death and they do not suspect suicide, he added.

He said: “Their sole purpose and function at the moment is to try and get their son and brother home as quickly as possible."

The Boyzone star's family could be given permission today to take his body home.

If it does not reveal any suspicious circumstances, a Spanish court can release Gately’s body to his family so they can make arrangements to bring it home.

Police on the holiday island have already said there were “no signs of suspicious circumstances”.

But a Palma police spokesman said they hoped the post-mortem examination would shed light on exactly what happened.

Meanwhile, the man believed to hold vital clues about his final hours has spoken of his horror at finding the singer's body.

Bulgarian Georgi Dochev is believed to have raised the alarm after finding Gately, 33, slumped on a sofa “very white and cold”.

He spoke to police yesterday after reports he had accompanied the singer and his partner Andy Cowles home from a gay nightclub in Mallorca.

Mr Dochev, 25, speaking from his home on the island, said: “I almost have not slept since this happened.

“I found Stephen dead and I woke his husband.

“Stephen was white and very cold when I found him. I am still nervous and really upset.”

He confirmed police had spoken to him. Mr Cowles, 32, allegedly told ­police he and “a friend” found Gately slumped on the sofa in the living room of the couple’s £1 million seaview ­holiday apartment at Port Andratx.

Reports suggested the singer had been found in a kneeling position in his pyjamas with his face buried in the sofa. The couple apparently met Mr Dochev for the first time on Friday night at the Black Cat, a gay ­nightclub in the capital, Palma.

They returned by taxi to the ­apartment at about 4am on Saturday. Gately was found at 1.30pm.

Mr Cowles is thought to have tried to revive his partner, who may have choked to death on his own ­vomit.

Both men are expected to give ­witness statements to a local judge.

Police say there is no indication of violence or drug taking, and “no sign of suspicious behaviour”.

Boyzone members Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch – who flew to the island by private jet – are thought likely to ­accompany the singer’s body back to Dublin.

A post-mortem examination will be carried out today.

Mr Gately’s family deny that he died after an eight-hour drinking binge, saying it was “a tragic accident”.