TRIBUTES have been paid to a Southampton author and bookkeeper found dead at his city flat.

The body of a man, named locally as Jonathan Hainsworth, was discovered at his home in St Mary’s sparking a major police investigation.

Mystery still surrounds the exact circumstances of his sudden death, with officers continuing their investigations today in a bid to establish the cause.

Daily Echo:

They are treating it as an “unexplained death”.

Police spent yesterday searching the flat in Brinton's Road, which has been cordoned off since Jonathan’s body was found on Wednesday.

A post-mortem planned for yesterday was delayed and is now expected to take place today.

Shocked neighbours spoke of their disbelief that Mr Hainsworth, who is believed to be in his 40s, had diedso suddenly.

They described him as a “nice guy” who was an Army reservist and worked as a bookkeeper, running his own business Spitfire Bookkeeping Services, from home.

They spoke as devastated relatives visited the ground-floor flat which was being closely guarded by police.

The bachelor and Territorial Army member was often seen around the neighbourhood in uniform or in his red Seat car.

Neighbour Peter Joyce, 55, who lives in St Matthew’s Close, said: “It’s awful and I feel very sorry for his parents.

“I regularly spoke to him and got a Christmas card from him. He was a nice, genuine guy who often kept himself to himself, but would do all he could to help people.

“He was well-liked and I couldn’t imagine anyone saying a bad word about him.”

Another neighbour, Shahida Begum, 44, from Brinton's Road, added: “He was a very nice, polite, person and if the kids were playing in the back he’d say ‘hello’.

“When he first moved in there were a few problems with antisocial behaviour, and he was writing and putting letters through people’s doors trying to help.”

Mr Hainsworth was also a crime and thriller author, with his first book The Lion’s Mouth, published in March 2013 featuring two private detectives based on the south coast.

As previously reported, officers were called to the flat at around 4.30pm on Wednesday after it is believed he was found by his parents.

The property was immediately sealed off as forensics officers carried out investigations.