TWO elderly next door neighbours were found dead at their homes in Paignton within a two-hour period yesterday.

Police were called to a sheltered housing unit in the Cecil Road area after a 79-year-old man was found dead by his carer at 9.20am.

A 65-year-old man was found dead next door when police made inquiries to move a neighbour's disabled buggy which was blocking the doorway of the flat where the first man was found.

Bay police spokesman Insp Jon Perry explained: "Undertakers could not remove the first body because the buggy was in the way.

"Our officers went to ask the neighbour if it could be moved only to find he was also dead."

Insp Perry was anxious to stress that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths.

It is believed the younger man may have been dead for a couple of days.

His next of kin have been informed.

The older man's next of kin were being notified late yesterday.

South Devon coroner Ian Arrow has been informed. Both deaths are thought to be by natural causes.

Just 24 hours earlier two other sudden deaths were reported to Bay police.

Again, there were no suspicious circumstances and the deaths were by natural causes.

A 90-year-old woman died at a nursing home in Paignton and a 74-year-old man was found dead at a property in Watcombe, Torquay.