Mystery over man and woman found dead in Portsmouth flat 'strange' and 'sad' as dog heard 'screaming', say residents, as deceased named locally

The man and woman, named locally as Mark and Michelle, were found inside their Estella Road home on Wednesday in Buckland. ‘Screams’ from their dog were heard coming from the apartment on an otherwise normally ‘quiet’ day.

Police confirmed the body of a male in his 50s was found at 10.42am before they returned to the flat later in the day and discovered the body of a woman in her 60s at 4.20pm. The second discovery came following concerns for the welfare of a man in his 60s on Centaur Street.

SEE ALSO: More details on death couple

Police are treating the deaths as ‘unexplained’ rather than suspicious but the double death on the same day has led to ‘shock’ and ‘sadness’ inside the block. Flowers have been placed at the door of the address while the remainder of tape from a cordon and a forensic glove on the ground offer a reminder into the disturbing turn of events.

One local said the man and woman had lived in the flat for about a year before adding: ‘They were the best neighbours I’ve ever had. They were good people. They had a lovely dog and we used to chat sometimes.

‘I’ve not a clue what happened. All I heard was their dog screaming at one point. It seems weird the way it happened. It’s sad to see them go, especially in such strange circumstances.’

Another said: ‘I only saw the man once and the woman twice. They seemed very nice. She was polite and friendly when I gave a parcel back to her. I don’t think any of us knew them that well.

‘There was never any problems with them or arguments. They seemed very pleasant. If anything untoward was going on there then people would know as you can hear everything from other flats.

‘It’s a shock for everyone…it’s not something you expect to happen on your doorstep. It’s strange and sad to think people were in trouble so close to us and we didn’t know anything about it. It’s very quiet around here, though.

‘We walked past there three times that day and had no idea. Everyone was saying what lovely people they were on Facebook.’

Someone else added: ‘Their Staffy dog used to run up and say hello. The man would always say hello and ask how I was. I didn’t see much of the woman.’

Residents said they came back to the block to witness emergency crews swarming across the area with people told to go in their flats as investigations were carried out. ‘It was a shock when I came home to be greeted by so many of them. I was told to shut my door and stay out of the way,’ one woman said.

A police spokeswoman, giving the latest update on the situation, said: ‘The deaths are being treated as unexplained with enquiries into the circumstances ongoing.

‘We would like to reassure members of the public that we do not believe there to be any wider risk at the current time.’

It is understood that checks were made on the property for hazardous substances but it was declared safe.