A grandfather found dead outside his Aberdeen home was described by neighbours as a one-off and a “lovely, hard working man”.
Last night police said they were treating the death of Douglas “Dougie” Cooper as “unexplained”.
The popular 58-year-old was found dead by a member of the public outside his home in Deansloch Terrace in the Northfield area of the city.
It is thought the father-of-three had been out for a drink with friends at his local pub, the Lord Byron bar, the night before.
Yesterday Mr Cooper was described as a friendly “family man” by neighbours, many of whom said they were “shocked” and “disappointed” at his death.
One, who knew him for almost 20 years, said he was a “lovely, hard working man”.
She added: “He always had a smile and always gave you a wave.
“He never ever went past without an ‘aye aye’. He was well respected.
“He was a good man, always smiling – a hard working, lovely man.
“It was a big shock when I got a knock on the door from the police yesterday.
“It is so sad at any time but especially at this time of year. It’s a big loss, and there will be heavy hearts this Christmas.”
It is thought that Mr Cooper fell on the stairs to his front door in the early hours of Saturday morning, knocking his head.
He was found around 7am by a passerby.
Mr Cooper was believed to have previously worked for Wiseman Dairies in the city and was looking forward to a trip to Ibiza next year with friends from the Lord Byron bar.
His wife is understood to have died several years ago.
Another neighbour said: “I have known him since I moved in here about 14 years ago. He was brand new guy. He just liked a pint in the bar and was always somebody to speak to.”
A friend and fellow Deansloch Terrace resident added: “He was a lovely man, his late wife was a lovely person too, they had three wonderful boys I know very well.
“You couldn’t have asked for better neighbours. We’re very disappointed that he has died.”
Another local said: “It’s a shock. Dougie was Dougie, there’s not another one like him.”
The area around Mr Cooper’s home was taped off on Saturday while officers carried out investigations at the scene.
A police spokesman said: “We were called at 7am and we attended along with the ambulance, but the male was found to be dead.
“We are treating the death as unexplained until the post-mortem examination is carried out, but there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.”