POLICE say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the discovery of a man’s body in a stream near a boating lake.

The 52-year-old was found at about 8.20am on Saturday, near the boating lake in the West Park area of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

A post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death is expected to be carried out today, but one line of inquiry is that the man may have had a seizure.

Inspector Kevin Blakey, of Durham Police, said: “At this time, the death is not being treated as suspicious and inquiries are ongoing in conjunction with Her Majesty’s Coroner.”

He added: “At present, police are not willing to release the identity of the man as family members are still being notified.”

Tributes have been left along the stream, known locally as the burn, opposite Kirkstone Place and Honister Place, where the man’s body was discovered.

Several bunches of flowers and cans of lager have been left, as well as a Tottenham Hotspur football scarf and a number of messages of sympathy.

One woman, among the first on the scene, spoke of her shock and said she understood the man lived locally.

She said: “I got up and I opened my bedroom curtains and there was a woman and a man with a dog standing on the path looking over (the burn).

“When I came downstairs, the police were there and I walked over and asked the policeman what was going on.

“He said it was a person and I said ‘give over’, but I looked down and could see that it was.

“We’ve heard the same name over and over again. We think he lived round here, not far from where he was found.”

Another woman who was at the scene on Saturday morning said it was sad the man had died so close to Christmas.

She said: “My thoughts are with his family.”

Anyone with information in relation to the death is asked to call Durham Police on 0345- 60-60-365.