'Lovely' man killed in home

More than a dozen police are investigating the scene where a man may have lain dead for days. Photo / Warren Buckland

Police were last night hunting for clues to who killed a "totally harmless" man in his Hastings home.

Douglas Bruce Apperley was found dead in his Townshend St house just after 8pm on Saturday.

He had not been seen for several days and police went to check on him after a concerned neighbour contacted them.

It is understood Mr Apperley's body may have been there for days.

It is not yet known when he died, or how, but police said the death was suspicious.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave De Lange said a post mortem examination would be carried out today in Wellington.

He would not be drawn on the specifics of the death or what led police to believe it was suspicious.

"We believe that the deceased is the occupant of the address. It's a man in his 50s. The person has not been formally identified," he said.

"We are continuing the scene examination and that will take some time. There are 15 police staff and two from ESR there."

He refused to say if there were signs of a break-in or a struggle.

Mr Apperley lived alone and while his occupation is listed in the electoral roll as an orchard worker, neighbours said he had not been working.

He was well known on the street and was often seen out on his bike.

Neighbours told the Herald police had been going door-to-door asking questions about Mr Apperley and any activity at his home in the last few days.

"They came and knocked on everyone's doors asking them questions and finding out if we'd noticed anything going on and when we last saw him. He's a lovely guy," said one neighbour.

Another woman said she was "absolutely devastated" when police told her what had happened.

"He was a lovely old man who chatted to everybody and rode his bike up and down the street - he spoke to the kids and waved to everybody. He was totally harmless," she said.

"He would stand at his gate and say hello to me every day ... I don't know if he was an icon, but he was someone in your street that you'd see every day.

"I would imagine everyone in the neighbourhood knew him, he was that sort of guy."

She said he was a lovely man whom everyone liked and he always went out of his way to be friendly.