POLICE forensic teams searched through bins as they tried to piece together the death of a man at a house in East Oxford.

Iffley Road remained closed all of yesterday after a body was found in a house between the Plain roundabout and Circus Street on Thursday afternoon.

It is now back open, as of 8pm last night.

Four houses, including the one which the man was found in, are still cordoned off with one police car parked outside. 

Police originally said the death was unexplained, but today said they were treating it as suspicious as they continued to hunt for evidence.

A post-mortem was carried out to determine the cause of death but no further details were released and police said the man's next of kin had not yet been informed.

The road was shut shortly after the discovery of the body in a three-storey terraced house near the corner of Circus Street at 3pm on Thursday after a call from a member of the public.

Oxford Mail:

Local Policing Area Commander for Oxford, Supt Christian Bunt, said: "I would like to reassure the community that we are conducting a thorough investigation into this unexplained death, which is now being treated as suspicious by detectives.

"We have already conducted some house to house enquiries and CCTV is being obtained and reviewed.

Oxford Mail:

"Residents will see an increased police presence in the Iffley Road area. If anyone has any concerns then please speak to a police officer or police community support officer."

Mr Bunt added it was likely it would be a long investigation and that officers would be conducting house-to-house enquiries.

A blue tent remained outside the house and officers appeared to be examining the steps leading up to the front door and the hedge outside the property, with forensics teams seen going in and out.

Oxford Mail:

A major investigation team patrolled up and down the street, while PCSOs guarded the cordon.

It has not yet been confirmed if the man lives at the property. Any injuries are also yet to be confirmed.

A staff member at Iffley Vets yesterday said they could see "lots of cars and police presence" in the cordoned-off road.

Iffley Road resident Madeleine Lott, who lives near the scene, added: "I had just left home and walked past it.

"The road was completely blocked off on both sides from the Plain and further up Iffley Road."

Oxford Mail reporter Michael Race, who was at the scene, said police had been seen with evidence bags.