August 2013
t: 01454 300 400
info@bradleystokejournal.co.uk
7
News
‘Unexplained death’ at duck pond sends community into panic
A
wave of anxiety spread through the community of Bradley Stoke on Tuesday 2nd July as rumours of a dead body being found near the ‘duck pond’ in the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve began to circulate on social media channels. Attention was aroused when the police helicopter was seen hovering over the duck pond and ‘tump’ areas of the nature reserve at around 11am. Rumours that a body had been found surfaced on Twitter at about the same time and there were reports that the duck pond area had been sealed off by police. At 12.30pm, The Journal’s reporter found that the northern side of the duck pond had indeed been cordoned off and was being guarded by a PCSO. Two police Scientific Investigation vehicles were parked close to the bridge and several other police vehicles and an ambulance were parked in Juniper Way, from where the other end of the lake can be accessed. A sports day at the nearby Bradley Stoke Community School was cancelled because of the incident and students were told they should stick to the main roads when walking home. A police statement obtained by The Journal at 2.40pm read: “We received a call from a member of
the public at around 10.30 this morning following the discovery of a body of a man.” “Officers are in attendance and a cordon has been put into place.” “The death is currently being treated as unexplained.” A further police update came the next day: “The post mortem has been completed and has not identified a cause of death, however at this stage we do not believe it to be suspicious” The police cordon near the lake was lifted later on Tuesday, but a Securitas ‘mobile CCTV operational unit’ remained on the track between BSCS and the tump until Wednesday evening. An operator in the CCTV van said it was guarding a crime scene “on top of the tump, close to the motorway”. A police spokesperson later explained that it is standard practice for a private security firm to take over scene guarding duties, so that police officers and PCSOs can return to normal duties. A number of posts on social media channels seemed to link the discovery of the body with reports of a man lying “unconscious” on the verge of Bradley Stoke Way at around 9am the same day. Police have confirmed that they and the ambulance service attended this incident, but report that the man
A PCSO guards the scene at the ‘duck pond’ in the nature reserve
was found to be up and walking by the time they arrived. The man was sent on his way after being checked over by ambulance staff. The Journal understands that police do not consider the Bradley Stoke Way incident to be linked in any way with the later discovery of a body in the nature reserve. Police have, however, confirmed an eye-witness report that two men were arrested in the nature reserve in the vicinity of the police cordon. A spokesperson told The Journal: “Two men, who were drunk and abusive to PCSOs who were
staffing the cordon around the scene, were arrested for public order offences.” “One was given a police caution and the other was found to be wanted for failing to answer bail for another police force and transferred into their custody.” Police have now handed the case to the Avon Coroner and it is expected that an inquest will be held in due course. The Neighbourhood Inspector responsible for the Bradley Stoke police beat assures the community that the incident was “in no way suspicious” (see below).
Police Statement from Inspector Robert Evely “As the Neighbourhood Inspector, I’d like to reassure everyone that the sad discovery of a man’s body in the Bradley Stoke Ponds area recently has in no way had an impact on the safety of the community as a whole.” “Our enquiries have revealed that he was not a local man and
was probably passing through our area on the way to somewhere else.” “We continue to work with the Coroner’s Office to ensure that as many answers as possible can be provided to his next of kin around his travel and sad death, which was in no way suspicious.”
To advertise in this magazine or on our websites, phone The Journal’s sales team on 01454 300 400