Police probe mystery death

Published on Saturday 28 November 2009 10:02

POLICE were today probing the mystery death of a woman whose body was found in a house.

Officers said the 57-year-old's death was currently being treated as "unexplained" while they await the results of a post-mortem expected to be carried out today.

The body was discovered in the semi-detached home in Stoneybank Drive in

Musselburgh after police arrived at the scene at 9:10am yesterday.

An ambulance was also called and sped from the quiet cul-de-sac shortly after officers arrived.

More than a dozen officers arrived at the scene yesterday and the street was cordoned off as police stood guard.

Police were today withholding the name of the woman while their inquiries continued.

A forensic team arrived at the home at 1pm yesterday and began an examination.

A man and woman in their late-30s turned up at the police cordon in a car and spent a number of minutes speaking to police beside the house. They left, looking upset, but would not comment on the nature of the ongoing incident.

Robert Wood, 59, a retired chef who lives in Stoneybank Drive, said: "The police arrived in force. There were several cars and a lot of officers. Then two ambulances arrived as well.

"Soon afterwards one of the ambulances sped off with its lights flashing and a police escort. It was going in a hurry and was obviously rushing someone off to hospital.

"The police have been there all day since then but they're only telling us it was an 'incident' and nothing else."

Another neighbour said the couple believed to live at the address had moved in in the early 1980s when the housing scheme was first built.

She said: "I don't really know them but they've been here since I can remember. I don't really want to talk about them when there's been a death. It's terrible."

A police spokesman said: "Lothian and Borders Police are responding to an incident at a house in Stoneybank Drive, Musselburgh where a 57-year-old woman has been found dead.

"Inquiries are at an early stage as we try to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident."