Body found at Mousehold Heath there for 'considerable amount of time'

The man was found in a patch of land shrouded by brambles behind Britannia Road in Norwich on Wednesday, July 21 at 10.15am.

A Home Office examination found the cause of death to be inconclusive. It is still being treated as unexplained by police.

Norfolk Constabulary said: "The body had been in place for a considerable amount of time and enquiries are ongoing to establish his identity."

Councillor Ben Price, vice-chair of Mousehold Heath Conservators' Group, said it was "terribly sad news" that someone had died in such "isolating circumstances".

"The fact nobody found him for quite some time is tragic", he said. "I'm sure the police, Mousehold Conservators and the council will all be following developments closely once we know more information.

"We will definitely learn from this, and try our best to make sure nothing like this happens again."

Mr Price said he wanted to reiterate that the heath is a "wonderous space", and "well-loved" by the people of Norwich.

He said: "Our two wardens do an absolutely fantastic job, but they've got so much ground to cover.

"They do everything in their power to make the heath a safe and welcoming place, and people should continue to use it and enjoy it as one of Norwich's great nature spots."

A body has been discovered at Mousehold Heath in Norwich, with a police cordon still in place two days later (Image: Archant)

Neighbour Steve Robinson, meanwhile, is trying to set up a residents' group to deal with antisocial behaviour, drug taking and the colonisation of the area around Britannia Road by "boy racers" on an evening.

He said: "It's horrible that somebody died alone and no-one was aware for such a long time.

"But the truth is, most residents stick to the beaten track. We don't go off exploring beyond the brambles, or really even go near that patch of the heath after dark. That area has become a bit of a no-go spot for us.

"There have been people who've pitched up tents and lived there in the past, but they usually keep themselves to themselves.

"Whatever happens, I hope the council and police take note of how abandoned parts of the heath are becoming."

A spokeswoman for the city council said Norwich has pockets of antisocial behaviour like any other city - and that while the council can deal with certain aspects of it, such as noise and fly-tipping, criminal activity should always be reported directly to the police.

A police car sits in Britannia Road car park opposite HMP Norwich after a body was discovered there on Wednesday (Image: Archant)

Anyone with information can contact Inspector Alix Wright on 101 - quoting reference 36/52509/21.