THE body of a man has been found after a house fire in Weymouth.

Police said the body of a man in his 70s was discovered.

It came after crews were alerted to Dale Avenue in the Lodmoor area shortly after midday.

Police, fire crews and the ambulance services were all called to the property.

A Dorset Police spokesman said: "Sadly the body of a local man believed to be in his 70s was discovered in the property.

"The coroner has been notified.

"The fire is not being treated as suspicious.

"Police are at the scene and will be for a number of hours."

The road is blocked while officers and firefighters work at the scene. Paramedics have now left the scene.

Tim Spring, Dorset Fire and Rescue service station manager, said: “Two crews from Weymouth were called at approximately 12.11pm this afternoon to reports of a fire in a property in Dale Avenue in the Lodmoor area.

“Crews dealt with a small fire in the ground floor of a house using two hose reel jets and four sets of breathing apparatus.

“The joint fire investigation between ourselves and Dorset Police is underway.”

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: “At 12.23pm Dorset Police received a call from Dorset Fire and Rescue Service about a house fire on Dale Avenue.

“The road is blocked due to the incident.”

Speaking at the scene, Deputy Inspector David Parr said: “A house fire was reported at an address in Dale Avenue. Fire attended and extinguished the fire. On searching the property they have located a deceased male within the address.

“His identity at this stage is unconfirmed.

“The coroner is investigating, along with police and fire, to establish the circumstances that led to the fire and also the male's identity.”

He added that the initial assessment was that it was not believed to be suspicious. He said: “It would appear to be an accidental fire.”

Deputy Inspector Parr said it was not being treated as a formal crime scene.
The next of kin have not yet been found.