Dead man found in freezer

A post mortem examination is due to be carried out

A woman has been arrested after a man's body was found in a freezer in a village near Bath.

The man, named locally as David Heal, aged in his 60s, was found at a house in Oaklands, Paulton, on Tuesday night.

His body, and the freezer in which it was found, have been taken to the mortuary at Southmead Hospital in Bristol but police say it will be some time before a post mortem examination can be carried out.

The woman, who is aged 53 and from the village of Timsbury, is understood to be Mr Heal's girlfriend.

Thorough search

The house where the body was found has been sealed off, and crime scene investigators are carrying out a thorough search.

Inspector Nigel Tinsley-Such of Avon and Somerset Police said: "It is clearly a suspicious death and we are making inquiries about it.

"The body is frozen and this will cause us some difficulties over the next few days before we can establish what happened to him."

Neighbours said Mr Heal, a recently divorced electrician, had lived at the property for three months after moving from nearby Hallatrow.

Stella Higgins, who lived next door, added: "He was a very quiet man. He seemed quite normal. You wouldn't think he would be found like that."

His friend Alan Hayman said Mr Heal was "a great guy" who went "off the rails" after splitting up with his wife Brenda 18 months ago.

Mr Hayman, landlord of the Star Inn at High Littleton, said his friend had been in the army, had three sons and used to be on the local parish council.