AN INVESTIGATION was launched after a man's body was discovered at a house in Southampton.

Residents spoke of their shock after the discovery at a boarded-up property yesterday.

They told the Daily Echo they saw police officers descend on the home in Oakley Road at about 11.37am.

Hampshire Constabulary now say the 36-year-old man's death is not being treated as suspicious.

Police forensics officers were seen at the house yesterday afternoon as officers tried to work out the circumstances of the man's death.

Neighbours say emergency services arrived at the house at around noon.

One 30-year-old resident said: "A lot of vehicles pulled up, first an ambulance, then police cars.

"Forensics came and then officers have been guarding it. We've heard that a man's body was found. It's very sad someone's died, that's someone's son, brother, or dad."

He said police had previously been called there 18 months ago and said: "There are a lot of people going in and out of different ages."

Franz Mathie, 35, who regularly stays at a house opposite, said: "Sometimes you see people hanging around outside there at night but I am surprised they've found someone in there."

A woman in her 60s said: "I saw the paramedics car and all the police and thought 'oh dear someone's been hurt'. Children play and run up the side but I am shocked someone was found in there. I'm really sorry to hear someone's died."

Another woman from Shirley who saw police cars there after walking by said: " Some of the boarded up houses in Shirley have homeless people living in them."

A woman who lives nearby said the house is normally boarded up and added: "There's usually no-one in there. I am surprised they found someone as I didn't think anyone was living there."

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: "The death is currently being treated as unexplained.

"Police officers will remain at the scene whilst they investigate the circumstances of the death."

It comes 18 months after police raided the same house following a series of drugs raids across the city.

Two men aged 43 and 57 had been arrested at the house in February last year in connection with a conspiracy to sell drugs in the Southampton area.

Specialist police had arrested five people after swooped on nine homes in the South as part of a huge joint operation involving officers from across the region, raiding three addresses in the city and six others in London.