People living in a quiet residential estate next to a Suffolk river where the body of a man was found in the water said they were shocked at the discovery.
Forensic vans and the police were still on scene with the public bridleway along the river cordoned off by police at around midday on Friday, December 21, 24 hours after emergency services were initially called to Riverside Way in Brandon.
Emergency services were called at around 11.30am on Thursday, December 20 to reports of a body in the Little Ouse river in the town, with the death currently being treated as unexplained with enquiries continuing to confirm the man's identity by Suffolk Police.
One resident, who has lived in the small estate for 20 years and wished to remain anonymous, said the area was 'very quiet'.
She said: 'I went at around 1pm yesterday to the shops and I saw all the police and the forensics team and I said what is going on and they said 'nothing to worry about', and I found out what had happened and I was just shocked.
'I was sat here on the sofa and I could see the thing and the fire brigade and a lot of people going up and down the tow path and I wondered what was going on and when I went out I just saw all the police and everything.
'It is very quiet around here. People take their dogs down the tow path, I take my dog down there. For such a quiet little town it is frightening and a bit shocking.'
Zara Watson, 28, who is a mother of two young children and has lived on the road for eight years and has lived in the area for most her life, said the tow path near to where the body was found is not dangerous.
She said: 'The tow path was overgrown with foliage ages ago, this year you couldn't go down there until April but they cleared it.
'I don't think it is dangerous. I have walked down there with my kids and gone geocaching with the kids but I don't think it is dangerous, unless you are drunk or have drugs in your system.
'It is horrifying really. They family is going to be in for a shock.'
The landlord at the nearby pub, The Ram Inn, said the river has had people pulled out of the water in previous years.
Andrew Rose, 58, said: 'We heard the sirens and saw them looking over each side of the bridge and within a few minutes there was a lot of emergency vehicles.
'They pulled a few bodies out of the river, I have been here nine years and they have pulled three or four out.'
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here