VILLAGERS spoke of their shock when the body of a man was found at a former school.

The man, believed to be in his late 50s, was found dead in his Knowl Bank home in Golcar, on Saturday morning.

The stone-built property in Knowl Road is part of a conversion of the village’s former County Primary School, which closed in 1974.

A police spokesman said that the man’s death was not suspicious and the coroner has been informed.

However, it was a sad turn of events for people living in the small collective of homes where just a few feet away people celebrated the annual Golcar Lily Festival.

Some of the occupants said they were woken from their sleep when several police cars descended on their communal car park at just after 8.30am.

A young mum described how she was returning from her morning session at the gym when she saw a police car and private ambulance.

She said: “My friend texted me saying that there were a few cars outside and a police scientific support car.

“I asked police and they just said that it was to do with the man in the house at the end.

“He had not lived here that long and I don’t even know his name .

“It is shocking because it’s a pretty good community and everyone knows everyone.”

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said that she believed that the man was named Joe and said that he had only moved into the two-bedroom terrace three months ago.

She said that he had previously lived in the village and had worked at St Luke’s Hospital at Crosland Moor before it closed.

The neighbour said that he came to live in the house after splitting up with his wife.

She said: “I don’t think I’ve spoken twenty words to him in all the time he’s been here, but he did tell me about his work and always seemed all right with me.

“He seemed to be quite close to his family and this is all really sad.”

The neighbour described how she saw police cars and paramedics suddenly descend outside the house before taking the man’s body away.

The sad scene unfolded as businesses opened up in preparation for the day’s festivities, the Providence Methodist Church opposite decked out with colourful bunting.

A police spokesman confirmed that officers attended at the address at 8.36am

He added: “Police were called to Knowl Bank following the discovery of a man’s body in the property. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and the coroner is being informed.”