Body found in Mt Roskill 'shocked' neighbours

Residents of a street in Mt Roskill say they are shocked after learning a man's body was found in a nearby flat.

Police said an investigation was underway into the death of a 38-year-old man, who was found dead at about 9am in his Frost Rd flat in Mt Roskill.

At this stage, it was unclear how the man died, Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Iain Chapman said.

"Until such time cause of death can be determined we will investigate it as if it was a homicide.

"We understand he had lived at this address for a few days only and shared the accommodation with one other person.

"We have secured the scene, the pathologist has been requested to attend and we hope to remove the man's body from the address later today or early tomorrow."

Mr Chapman said all those living at the house had provided statements to police and, using those, police were now working to piece together what had happened over the past 24 hours.

The scene, on Frost Rd, has been on lock down since about 11am while authorities carry out a scene examination.

"We've currently got some specialists attending the scene and a pathologist will be here to assist us in the scene examination, which will hopefully be concluded tonight. Hopefully we'll have some more answers tomorrow morning after a post-mortem's been done."

St John spokesman Robbie Walker said ambulance services were called just before 9am this morning, and one ambulance attended the scene.

Northern Fire communications shift manager Jaron Phillips said one fire crew was also sent to the property about 9am.

The Frost Rd driveway where the incident appears to have taken place was cordoned off by police emergency tape today.

Michael Ni lives at a flat up the driveway and arrived home to find it taped off about 1.30pm.

He was barred from entry and stuck on the street until police let him through about 2pm.

Mr Ni moved to Mt Roskill from China two months ago and said he was shocked someone had died so close to him.

Mr Ni said he didn't know his neighbours because he was so new to the area.

He left the house at 7am for university and only arrived home this afternoon.

"That's horrible. I feel gross. It's disgusting," he said.

"I know nothing. I left the house early and I haven't had lunch. I'm just going to have to wait here."

Neighbour Priscilla North said there was multiple flats and a possible halfway-house at the address where the man's body was found.

A group of people who looked like they were from the halfway-house were grouped outside the address when she arrived home about 11.45am, she said.

There were five police vehicles on the road, she said.

The driveway had already been taped off and no-one was allowed up, she said.

Police asked anyone with information about the matter to call Auckland City Crime Squad on 09 302 6557 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.