Neighbours have paid tribute to a man whose body was discovered inside his Angus home.
The grim discovery was made by police officers who broke down the door to the man’s home in the village of Marywell, just outside Arbroath.
The 50-year-old man has not been named. His death is being treated as “unexplained” and a report has been sent to the Procurator Fiscal.
On Tuesday, a police presence remained at the house, which is on the main street in the village.
Commotion
Neighbours said they heard the commotion on Sunday as police rammed the door to gain entry.
One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “This is really so sad.
“I last saw the man, who I only knew by his first name, last week.
“I usually saw him out in his garden and my dogs would bark.
“It did strike me as odd that he didn’t seem to have been in his garden for a couple of days.”
Describing the man as someone who kept himself to himself, the woman said he had only moved into the property last year.
She said: “He was a quiet man but he liked to work in his garden.
“He also went out on his bike a lot. I spoke to him a little and he was always very pleasant but quiet.”
She added: “I saw the police arrive on Sunday. The next thing we heard was loud banging – that turned out to be the door to the property being forcibly opened.
“There was an ambulance sitting waiting outside. I’m really shocked to hear that he has died – that is really, very sad.”
Police at the house since Sunday
Another neighbour in the Angus village said: “The police have been sitting outside his house since Sunday.
“I thought they were there because his house had been broken into.
“I saw the broken front door and thought that’s what had happened.”
The man added: “I would speak to the guy sometimes but he kept to himself.
“He hadn’t been here that long so I never really got to know him that well.
“I would regularly see him on his bike and I took in a parcel for him on one occasion.”
Police: ‘Death is unexplained’
Another neighbour said: “This is really sad. He was a quiet man and I didn’t have an awful lot to do with him.
“What a shame that someone should die like this.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “The body of a 50-year-old man was found at a property in Marywell around 6.55pm on Sunday, February 6.
“Enquiries are ongoing and the death is currently being treated as unexplained.
“A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.”
