Detectives have been examining an Aberdeen flat where a body was found in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The property on the city’s Beach Boulevard remained sealed off all day after the alarm was raised at around 6am.
Police descended on the scene and set up a cordoned around the block of flats opposite the retail park.
They said they were treating the death as “unexplained”.
Residents of other homes in the building were told to remain inside and were only allowed to leave around five hours later.
Drivers passing by and people heading towards the beach watched on in shock throughout the day as forensic teams were seen coming in and out of the property.
Few people who lived in the neighbouring flats had any idea why the police had sealed off the area.
And yesterday police came under fire for not revealing information to members of the public sooner.
One person who was caught up in the incident was Sarah Palmer, who lives in a ground floor flat in the same building.
She said: “It all got started at about 5.45am.
“We can hear people coming in and out because we’re on the ground floor.
“At first we got really annoyed then we saw an ambulance outside and the police.
The 24-year-old added: “The police did not tell us anything at all about what was happening, they just told us to stay inside.
“We were told we could not leave and just got out at 11am.”
Martin Greig, the chairman of the Grampian Community Safety Partnership, said the lack of information was a cause for concern and linked it to the controversial move of the police control room to Dundee.
He said: “It is worrying to have so little information about what is happening.
“Even some basic outline of the incident would help to give reassurance to the community.
“People have a right to know how serious this is and what is the level of risk.
“The wall of silence from the control room is not desirable.
“This uncooperative approach is not in the interests of our local area.
“This is further proof that our control room should have stayed in Aberdeen.
“It was wrong to take this key police resource away from us.”
Detective Inspector Allen Shaw thanked nearby residents for their patience.
He said: “Our investigation is at a very early stage and there will be a police presence including a police pod in the area while initial inquiries are carried out.
“Thank you in advance to local residents for your patience.”
