It was a Monday morning, on one of the quietest weeks of the year, as many remain off work and Christmas winds down.
Flanked by a primary school, a modest vicarage and a pretty row of houses, the Church of St John the Baptist – known as St John’s – sits at the very edge of Greater Manchester. Just a street away, the houses peter out into open farmland, which goes on for miles until it reaches Warrington.
Popular with dog walkers, residents described the area as a quiet and ‘lovely’ part of Irlam. But as the day began today (December 30), this serene scene would soon be disturbed by tragedy, as a man in his 50s sadly lost his life.
READ MORE: Tragedy as man in his 50s found dead outside church with investigation underway
Police said they were called to the area at around 8:20am today, following reports of a concern for a person’s welfare. Despite the best efforts of emergency services who quickly attended, a man in his 50s was sadly pronounced dead.
By lunchtime, a blue and white forensic tent had been erected by the back door of the church – and the sandy wall flanking it bore splashes of what an officer later confirmed to be blood.
Young families, pensioners and dog walkers wore expressions of disbelief as they rounded the corner and took in the scene. Children on bikes and passing cars stopped in their tracks to look on in shock.
(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said one local resident. “I moved here from London three years ago and I like the area, I have no complaints. But a police scene? Never.”
Neighbours said police had been there since at least 9 o’clock that morning, with officers making door-to-door enquiries to houses and businesses at the top of and along Vicarage Road.
Many residents were seen chatting to each other over their fences. One had come out to ask stationed officers whether there was any immediate danger to others in the vicinity, apparently receiving an answer in the negative.
GMP said in a statement that enquiries were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, with no indication yet as to whether it is being treated as suspicious.
“There’s the occasional bit of crime, like any place, but this is a really quiet area,” the resident said. He has lived here for eight years.
“I didn’t hear anything all night – the first I heard of it was when I took my dog out and saw the cordon. I have my Rottweiler in the room with me at night – she reacts to every sound, but there was nothing.”
(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
Other neighbours agreed the previous night had been ordinary. Lee, who only moved in two weeks ago, said the first he knew of the incident was the police’s arrival.
“We sleep at the front of the house with the window open, and I was up at 4am,” he told the M.E.N. “We didn’t hear a thing – no commotion or shouts at all.
“It’s really strange that this should happen,” Lee continued. “It’s not put me off living here – it’s such a lovely area and so quiet. All you tend to get are dog walkers.”
The cordon, attended by uniformed officers and plain-clothes detectives, extended over most of the church green. It was finally taken down at around 3pm, when officers were seen retrieving evidence bags containing what looked like clothes, and fire crews worked to hose blood off the walls of the church with a powerful jet washer.
The vicar then placed a bunch of flowers on the steps of the back porch, where the police tent had been. St John’s has stood in Irlam since 1866 and remains an active place of worship – though the M.E.N understands there had not been a service there since yesterday morning (Sunday December 29).
(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said they had been called to Vicarage Road in Irlam at 8:20am this morning “to reports of a concern for welfare”.
“Emergency services attended the scene but despite the best efforts of emergency workers, a man in his 50s was sadly pronounced dead.”
“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”