A 44-year-old man died of a suspected heart attack in Old Road, Chippenham last Wednesday.

It is thought that Stephen Croxton, who is believed to have suffered from a form of autism, died in the doorway of his home.

Police say there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, although an anonymous source has revealed Mr Croxton contacted police on the evening before he died to report that he was being harassed by a gang of youths.

The near neighbour said police had visited addresses in the area to ask if residents knew anything about a disturbance on Tuesday.

“There were a lot of rumours going around about it,” said the neighbour.

“An ambulance came on Wednesday, but then a police car was parked outside for two days afterwards.”

A police spokesperson said: “We attended an address in Old Road shortly after 7.30am on Wednesday after being contacted by ambulance staff, who called as a body was discovered.

“Initial enquiries have been made and the death is not being treated as suspicious. This is now a matter for the coroner. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.”

It is thought Mr Croxton had been concerned that the gang might want to harm him, although no one has been arrested.

A spokesperson from the Great Western Ambulance Service said: “We received 999 call at 7.16am on April 18 reporting a man, described by the caller as mid-40s, in cardiac arrest in a property in Old Road, Chippenham.

“We had a paramedic in a rapid-response vehicle and an ambulance crew on the scene at 7.20am. Unfortunately, the patient was clearly deceased so they did not attempt any treatment, for example CPR.

“Therefore, they simply waited for police to arrive, which is normal in such circumstances, before standing down.”