Police discovered the man in his 30s dead at the address in Christchurch, Dorset, on Tuesday night after receiving a report from a member of the public raising concern for his welfare. Residents on the leafy estate have spoken of their shock as officers continue to investigate.

       One man said he saw a police helicopter at around 8.30 pm last night.

       He told Dorset Live of his "shock" at the investigation, which has seen several police cars descend on the area and a cordon put across a road.

       Forensic officers are at the scene, witnesses said.

       The victim's next of kin has been informed and the coroner has been notified of the death.

       Detective Chief Inspector Emma Sweetzer, of Dorset Police, said officers will be "carrying out a full investigation to establish exactly what happened at the address" and asked any witnesses "who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area since Sunday, January 2 to please contact" the force.

       Christchurch, which is east of Bournemouth on the south coast, has one of the oldest populations in the country with significant proportion of residents wealthy senior citizens.

       More than 35% of its residents are aged 60 or over.