The body of a man was discovered by a dog walker in a field in Melksham last Thursday.

The man in his 40s, who is from the Beanacre area, was discovered shortly before 7pm on land behind Beanacre Road, by a woman walking her dog. The fields behind the street are a popular spot for dog walkers.

A neighbour said: “I had heard the police were there but I wasn’t around at the time. You hear about these things happening but you wouldn’t expect anything like that around here.

“I was really sad to hear what had happened, it’s a tragedy for the family.”

Police and ambulance crews attended, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

His death is not being treated as suspicious, and no further police inquiries have been made.