BREAKING: Man found dead in Bristol park as police 'completely surround' Cotham Gardens
A man has been found dead in a park, sparking a huge police response in the area.Members of the public reported concerns for the welfare of a man in Cotham Gardens, Bristol on Tuesday morning. Police officers and paramedics rushed to the scene but he was pronounced dead.The man's death is currently being treated as unexplained and investigations are ongoing, Avon and Somerset Police said. One witness told Bristol Live that the area was "completely surrounded by police".Pictures taken by witnesses show a large police cordon, with a forensic tent erected within it. A handful of police officers can be seen standing within the cordon.A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: "Officers were called at 7.45am today (Tuesday 20 January) to Cotham Gardens, in Bristol, after a member of the public raised concerns for an individual's welfare. Sadly, despite the efforts of emergency personnel, a man was pronounced dead."His death is being treated as unexplained and enquiries into the incident are ongoing. A scene remains in place and members of the public can expect to see a heightened police presence."It comes after the body of a man was found at a Bristol homeless shelter earlier this month. Zaid Jawad was found dead six days after his family reported him missing to both the charity operating the hostel and the police.The 40-year-old's body was discovered at Logos House, a Salvation Army hostel in Bristol, on Saturday, January 3. The family expressed their shock upon learning that Zaid had actually passed away in the hostel - in another resident's room. Astonishingly, that resident continued to reside there, with Zaid's body present in his room, even though hostel staff and police had been notified of his disappearance, for nearly a week.Zaid had been residing at Logos House over the Christmas period. However, when his two sisters, Dina and Tegan, were unable to reach him, they reported him missing to the Salvation Army on Sunday, December 28, reports Bristol Live.The following day, Monday, December 29, the Salvation Army reported him missing to the police. Yet it seems that the hostel, which accommodates up to 93 people, was not searched.It was only on Saturday, January 3 - a full six days after he was reported missing - that a more thorough examination of CCTV footage revealed Zaid had never left the hostel. His last sighting was entering another resident's room the previous Saturday evening and not emerging. The room was inspected on Saturday afternoon, leading to the grim discovery of Zaid's body - seven days after he was seen entering the room and six days after his disappearance was reported.Avon and Somerset Police referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) in relation to the circumstances surrounding the death.
