A Perthshire pensioner may have been dead for a number of weeks before his body was discovered, it has emerged.
The 77-year-old man was found lying in a Bridge of Earn flat on Monday. Tayside Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.
The force attended the property in Imrie Court, Back Street, at noon after concerns were raised by an off-duty officer. It is believed the man died of natural causes. A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in Perth.
Once an old church, Imrie Court was converted into six apartments a number of years ago by a local artist.
Almond and Earn councillor Alan Jack said the community was ”deeply saddened” by the news. He urged residents to look out for their elderly neighbours and to notify the authorities if they suspected someone might have fallen ill.
”It’s so sad that this has happened,” Mr Jack said. ”To think the poor gentleman’s body lay there all that time and no-one knew, it’s awful. I hope he didn’t suffer at all.”
He continued: ”It’s a fact of life that people pass away but I would encourage members of the community to keep an eye on the elderly. There are a lot of older people in Bridge of Earn and it’s important they don’t feel isolated.”
Mr Jack said the local church and the WRVS ran a number of well-attended events for the elderly.
A nearby resident, who asked not to be named, said he only heard about the discovery on Wednesday.
He added: ”We are all quite shocked and saddened.”
Bridge of Earn community officer Euan Mitchell notified followers on his Twitter account that he had attended the property of an elderly man and said it appeared he had died ”a number of weeks ago”.
Police will not release the name of the deceased until all next of kin have been notified. It is believed he lived alone.
The discovery comes just a week after officers were called to a house in Ruthvenfield, near Perth, after the death of a 59-year-old woman. It is not known when Anne Buchanan, who lived alone on Tarry Row, died.