A Norfolk village is in shock today after the body of an elderly man was found as firefighters tackled a blaze in his home.
Fire and police investigators are at the home on The Green in Shipdham, near Dereham, this morning trying to find what caused the blaze.
The property is currently sealed off and police are treating the man's death as unexplained.
A post-mortem examination will be carried out on the man's body and information will be passed to the coroner, who will carry out an inquest.
Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service was alerted shortly after 5.30pm yesterday and sent three crews from Watton, Attleborough and Dereham to the scene to tackle the blaze.
The man was found in an armchair in the property and police were called.
At 11.45pm fire crews were called back to the scene by police after fires reignited in the roof space causing a second blaze to take hold at the property.
This morning this has been extinguished and fire crews will begin a formal investigation this morning.
The picturesque Green is in the middle of the village and local people said there had been a large number of emergency services on the scene during the early evening.
One villager, who did not want to be named, said: 'It's such tragic news and we are all in shock.'
Another local person said: 'I understand the man lived on his own and we cannot believe what has happened.'
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