Police seek clues over 'totally harmless' man's murder

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

Police have appealed for clues on 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 police would like to talk to anyone who had seen anything suspicious or unusual in the area in the last few days.

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

"We will be speaking with residents in Townshend Cres again today as part of the investigation to see if anyone has noticed any suspicious behaviour in the area over recent days. Someone may have seen someone or something that they thought might have been out of the ordinary or unusual.

"At this stage we can't confirm any circumstances surrounding the death and if anyone knows something about it then we would like to speak to them urgently."

Teams of twelve police and two ESR staff were working at the Townshend Cres on the investigation into the death, Mr De Lange said.

A post mortem was expected to be carried out today.

Mr De Lange 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.

- with NZ Herald staff