WITH workers sat at computers, coffee machines and water coolers, this Oxford building may look like a normal office block.

But decades ago it had a slightly darker purpose – housing the city’s mortuary and coroner’s court.

From 1969 until the late 1990s the building in Floyds Row, off St Aldate’s, would have seen hundreds of the city’s dead pass through its doors.

Now the current occupiers – the Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action organisation – would like to find out a bit more.

Charity chief executive Alison Baxter, pictured, said: “It is fascinating.

“From where I am sat now, I know that I am in the old juror retiring room.

“Our meeting room was the dissecting room and other offices are in the old mortuary where there were freezers and places where post mortems were carried out.”

When the building was being transformed into offices in the early 2000s, builders discovered nine previously unknown body stores.

The building was built in the 1930s as the original Labour Exchange.

In the 1960s it housed the city’s weights and measures department, before becoming the Coroner’s Court and Mortuary from 1969.

OCVA would like to hear from anyone who worked in the weights and measures department, the coroner’s court or anyone who might have visited the labour exchange.

The organisation is putting together a collection of memories of the building for the Oxford Open Doors event in September.

Please contact OCVA on info@ocva.org.uk or phone 01865 258915.

Oxford Open Doors runs the weekend of September 8 and 9.