A major investigation has been launched by police following the discovery of a woman’s body at an Aberdeen property.
Police were scrambled to Sunnyside Road, near the Cash 4 Clothes second-hand shop, at around 10.40am on Monday after wellbeing concerns were raised.
Upon arrival, officers entered the property and discovered a woman’s body after they broke down the door to get inside.
Nearly five hours later, a man was arrested in connection with the find near Scotstown Primary School in Bridge of Don.
Police presence on Sunnybank Road
The premises on Sunnybank Road has been sealed off with a police screen for the majority of the day as investigations are carried out.
It is understood there are two flats in the cordoned-off building, one of which has been empty for years.
Nearby residents reported seeing forensic teams coming in and out of the ground-floor property, while officers stood guard outside.
An incident support unit arrived at the scene at about 7pm with several detectives as inquiries continued in the area.
One resident said: “I knew something bad had happened when police put up the screen up at around noon. About half the street was then sealed off with police tape.
“It was all quiet – there was no shouting or sirens – we just heard officers knocking down the door to get into the building and then saw uniformed officers coming in and out.
“Nobody came around to ask anything or tell us what was happening. But I spoke to a lady on the street and she seemed pretty shaken, like she had just got some bad news.”
The incident came as a shock to people living on the street, who described the area as “usually quiet and uneventful”.
Another resident, who has lived on Sunnybank Road for 15 years, said: “I’ve lived here for years and I’ve never seen a police car even stop on the street. So seeing officers roaming about all day was definitely an unusual occurrence.
“Nobody knew what was happening but everybody was talking about it, trying to piece what is happening.”
Police said they could not comment on whether the death is being treated as suspicious or not.
In a statement, a police spokeswoman said: “Around 10.40am officers were called to a property on Sunnyside Road, Aberdeen, following a report of concern for a person.
“The body of a woman was discovered within, and officers remain at the scene.”
Police have confirmed a 43-year-old man has been arrested by officers in connection with the incident.
She added: “Around 3.20pm, a 43-year-old man was arrested in the Scotstown Road area of Aberdeen in connection with the incident.
“Inquiries are continuing.”
Dramatic arrest outside Scotstown Primary
Onlookers reported seeing both a police car and a police van arrive at the scene near Scotstown Primary School at around 3pm, with about six police officers in attendance.
Witnesses saw a man on the ground with other people on top of him as police arrived.
A white Mini car was sealed inside the car park that was cordoned off while other spaces were opened up for drivers again.
A spokeswoman for Aberdeen City Council stressed the incident was not related to the school and measures were put in place as a precaution.
Lara Sharif, headteacher of Scotstown School, said they were instructed to keep all pupils inside the school as officers dealt with the incident.
She said. “We were just told to basically keep the kids inside because the police were dealing with an incident.
“We were told until you are given the green light, just keep everybody in.”
It is understood pupils were not allowed to leave the premises unaccompanied for a period of time, while officers carried out inquiries.
They were later given permission from the school to leave with a parent.
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “We were alerted by Police Scotland to an incident in the Bridge of Don area this afternoon.
“Although unrelated to the nearby Scotstown Primary School, as a precaution the school activated its agreed lockdown procedure, which prevents pupils from leaving the school unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.”
Martin Greig, convener of Aberdeen City Council’s education committee, said it had been a distressing incident.
He added: “Council staff are doing all they can to provide any support needed by the school community.”
The incident provoked a lot of debate among residents in the area.
One woman, whose home overlooks the scene, said: “Everybody’s phoning each other about it, but I haven’t a clue what happened.”
In pictures: Police begin investigation
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