Suspicious Tauranga death probed

File photo / Martin Sykes

Police say the death of a middle-aged man in suburban Tauranga this morning is suspicious.

Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner, head of the Tauranga CIB, said the body was discovered at 7am at a house on Watling Street, in the suburb of Gate Pa.

Mr Turner confirmed the death was being treated as suspicious and said 26 officers were working on the case.

Until a post mortem was done in Auckland tonight they could say little about the cause of death, Mr Turner said.

He said neighbours had told police they heard a disturbance at the house late last night and police wanted to hear from anyone who may have heard or seen anything in the street overnight.

"We are also very keen to hear from anyone who may have been at the Watling St address in the past 48 hours."

Officers swooped on the area behind Gate Pa Tennis Club early today.

About eight police cars were on the street, which was blocked off and forensic experts were seen entering the brick house where the body was found about 8.40am.

Police were going door to door talking to neighbours about 9am.

One resident, who did not want to be named, told the Bay of Plenty Times that both adults and children lived in the house the body was found in.

Watling St was normally quiet and today's police activity was "pretty scary", the resident said.

A next-door neighbour was not aware a body had been found when the Bay of Plenty Times contacted him at work today.

He said that last night he had heard laughing and the sound of a happy house.

It was a Housing Corporation rental which had been occupied by a man who split his time between Watling St and Motiti.