Body found at Willingham-by-Stow playing fields - VIDEO

Emergency services received reports of a body at the playing fields and children’s play park in Willingham-by-Stow at around 9.30am this morning (Thursday 27th October)

The area between Gainsborough Road and Marton Road was cordoned off while police and forensic teams searched the area.

Police now say that they are now treating the death as unexplained but not suspicious.

Whilst no formal identifcation has been carried out they believe the body is that of a 57-year-old man who lived locally.

Local resident Louise Forman lives very close to where the body was found.

“We just feel a bit shaken because we’re in such a lovely little village and you just don’t expect anything like this on your doorstep,” she said.

“The police have assured us that there’s no threat to myself or my family, but it’s just so unexpected. We feel shocked, not threatened.”

Another local resident added: “I got back at 10.30am this morning and noticed that the police had closed off the playing field.”

“I asked what had happened and they said they’d found a body - it’s so sad, rather than a shock.”

Another neighbour added: “You don’t think something like this would happen on your doorstep, I mean at the end of your garden a person’s life has been extinguished.”

“What makes it more shocking is that it’s an area that people enjoy so much and now such a horrid thing has happened.”

The identity of the body and the cause of death are currently unknown.

A post mortem will be carried out to establish the exact cause of death but this has yet to be arranged.

Check back here for further updates.

Anyone with any information is asked to call 0300 111 0300 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.