Mystery surrounds the death of a man in a north-east village.
The 36-year-old’s body was found at a property in Portsoy, near Banff, on Sunday night.
Police, fire and ambulance crews were all called to the house in Soy Avenue following the discovery of what was described as an “unknown substance” inside.
The material – believed to be a cream in an unusual container – was being examined by chemical experts today.
The man has yet to be named by police.
Officers stood guard at the property’s entrance last night.
A police spokesman said the cause of the man’s death was still under investigation, however, it was not being treated as suspicious.
He said: “I can confirm at 11pm on Sunday officers were called to a residential property in Portsoy where a body of a 36-year-old male was found.
“Due to the unknown substances found in the property, specialist teams across all three services have been deployed in relation to the death.
“There has been no danger to the public.”
Last night community leaders paid their respects to the dead man’s family and friends.
Portsoy councillor Michael Roy said: “It’s always a tragedy when someone – especially at that age – dies in unknown circumstances. My thoughts go out to his friends and family.
“There’s not much more to say until we know about the circumstances, but it is certainly a tragic event.”
Councillor John Cox added: “My thoughts are with his family at this moment.”
And councillor Ian Gray, who lives in the village, said the community would be hurting over the death.
“All I can say is that my heart goes out to all of his family and everybody concerned. It’s a big blow to a small, close-knit community,” he said.