A WORKMAN has spoken of his shock after finding a man’s body wrapped up in a roll of carpet at a derelict property.

Christopher Metcalfe said he discovered the almost completely decomposed body while cleaning out a burned out building in Broomfield Terrace, Whitby, on Saturday afternoon.

The former pupil of Ormesby School, in Middlesbrough, said he and a fellow worker had been left reeling by the state of the body, which police said appeared to have been at the property in the residential street for some time.

Mr Metcalfe said: “I still can’t believe it has happened, I can’t get it out my head thinking of what could of happened.”

After initially describing the man’s death as “unexplained” and posting a guard outside the property flanked by Pannett Park and Whitby Hospital, North Yorkshire Police moved swiftly to dismiss speculation that the body could be linked to Teesside killer James Allen.

Last April, after murdering pensioner Colin Dunford in Middlesbrough, Allen killed charity worker and epileptic Julie Davison in her Church Square flat, about 400 metres from where the man’s body was found.

As a post-mortem examination was underway last night, a police spokesman said: “Police enquiries have shown that it is believed to be the body of a local man.

"There is nothing to suggest that there are any suspicious circumstances at this time and a file is being prepared on behalf of the coroner.

"We are not expecting to be in a position to release his identity for some time."

The body was found as Miss Davison’s family revealed they planned to honour her memory by donating many of her belongings to charities she was devoted to.

Dawn Kibble, 61, who discovered her sister’s body, said: “Allen robbed me of my little sister when she was the happiest she had been in many years.

“It’s unbearable to have her snatched away in such a senseless, brutal way.”

“She was lovely and she often said I was more like a mum than a sister.

“I thought it would get better in time, but not at the moment because we’re still waiting for the police to return some of her things to us.

“We know that these things take time and the police have been marvellous, so it’s not their fault. Maybe once we have those things back we’ll be able to move on.”