A man man was found dead at Almondbury.

The man, who has not been named, is thought to have been overcome by fumes in his home.

The tragedy unfolded late yesterday afternoon in Dartmouth Avenue, about half a mile from the village centre.

Fire officers and police were called to the house shortly before 5pm.

Unconfirmed reports suggested the man may have been overcome by carbon monoxide fumes from a portable barbecue in a bedroom.

Police told neighbours there was a sign on the door of the semi-detached house saying: “Danger Do Not Enter - Carbon Monoxide”.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “He was a genuinely nice guy. It is a shock.

“If you could pick a neighbour to have it would be this guy”.

He said his teenage daughter had called him to say the man’s alarm was sounding and he told her to call the police.

Another neighbour said: “It is shocking.

Police at the scene in Dartmouth Avenue, Almondbury
Police at the scene in Dartmouth Avenue, Almondbury

“The police came round and told us to leave our house while they checked for fumes. I have never seen so many police cars, fire engines and ambulances.

“He has lived there for about nine years and he was a good neighbour. We used to arrange to collect parcels for each other”

Specialist fire investigation officers from Dewsbury were called to the scene.

They are experts in investigating incidents involving the so-called “Silent killer”.

The investigation into the tragic incident continued well into the evening.

Carbon monoxide poisoning claims about 40 lives a year, despite massive safety campaigns about the dangers of the fumes which have no smell.

The high-profile national safety campaign has been spearheaded in recent years by Huddersfield mum Stacey Rodgers, who lost her 10-year-old son Dominic to carbon monoxide fumes from a leaking boiler flue at a neighbour’s house in Fartown.

She has been joined in her campaign by Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman, who chairs a national body battling for greater awareness.

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