POLICE have launched an investigation after a man’s body was found in a Weymouth flat.

Police officers and paramedics rushed to the flat, which is located above the Stockting Funeral Service on Crescent Street, shortly before 1pm yesterday after reports of an unconscious man in a property.

The man, who is not a resident of the flat and is believed to be in his mid-30s, was declared dead at the scene.

The death is not being treated as suspicious and the coroner has been informed.

Dorset Police are still trying to contact the man’s next of kin.

A total of four police cars, plus a crime scene investigation team, and two ambulances were all at the scene, although the paramedics left shortly after 2pm.

A number of police officers and crime scene investigators were seen to be going into the property up until 3.30pm, with a number of evidence bags carried in and out of the flat.

Speaking to the Echo at the scene, Sergeant Andy Jenkins from Dorset Police said: “We were called shortly after 1pm to an unexplained death of a male, but we are not treating it as suspicious.

“All we can say about the man is that he is not the resident of the flat and that the deceased male is in his mid 30s.

“An investigation into the death has been launched even though we are not treating it as suspicious, and the scientific investigation teams have been at the scene.

“We are still trying to contact the next of kin to inform them.”

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said: "We received a call at 12:41pm to a report of a man lying unconscious and not breathing at an address in Crescent Street in Weymouth.

"We sent two paramedics in a fast response car and a normal ambulance to the address, but the man was declared dead at the scene and we left the incident."

One nearby resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “The police and ambulances were here for at least a couple of hours.

“There were two ambulances and four police cars and vans and they all seemed to come at once.

“I have never seen anything like this before. I have lived here for about nine years and nothing like this has happened here before.”

Cllr Francis Drake, who represents the area on Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said: “This is very sad and all my thoughts go out to the man’s family and his friends.

“This is very sad, especially as the man was at such a young age.

“We are not used to this sort of thing happening in Weymouth, and I’m sure everyone from the town will be sending their thoughts and condolences to the man’s family.”