AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into the death of an elderly man whose body was found in roadworks.

The Health and Safety Executive is now conducting a formal inquiry into how the body of Ivor Bullock, 91, of Kingswood, came to be discovered.

Mr Bullock was found dead on the morning of November 5. His body was found in roadworks in Charfield Road, Kingswood, by the village postman who was doing his rounds. The Health and Safety Executive was notified at the time.

It is believed Mr Bullock had been heading for the Kingswood village shop to collect his morning paper, which he did every day, but never arrived.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: "We are investigating. We were trying establish if it did fall into our remit but we are now investigating.

"The investigation will be ongoing and we are unable to give a timescale.

"We will eventually release a report and the coroner will re-open the inquest and once they have given a verdict on the cause of death we can then decide what to do."

The Health and Safety Executive is a national body responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation.

The roadworks in Kingswood were being carried out by Balfour Beatty on behalf of Central Networks.

Marjorie Hooper, from Balfour Beatty, said: "If the Health and Safety Executive are investigating we would co-operate fully with them but we are not in a position to say anything more at this time.

"If there is an investigation we cannot comment. We take the health and safety of the public and our workers as a primary concern."

The Gloucester Coroner said a date for an inquest to determine the cause of death had not yet been set.

He said: "Because the Health and Safety Executive is involved it means it is a more complex matter so will take some time to arrange."