Bodies of ‘mother and son’ found inside bungalow as police probe ‘unexplained’ deaths

A man and a woman have been found dead inside a bungalow in Cambridgeshire – with police describing the deaths as unexplained and neighbours saying they were a mother and son.

Cambridgeshire Police revealed officers were called to an address in Norwood Road, March, at about 1.47pm yesterday over a concern for welfare.

The pair have been named locally as former museum volunteer Sandra Nicholas who is believed to have been aged in her 70s and her son Matthew who was in his 50s.

Police found them dead on Wednesday afternoon at their home which is on a dirt track leading to a field in the Fenland town.

A cordon remained in place today with the track blocked off by police tape as officers in a van and marked car guarded the scene. 

A spokesperson from the force said: ‘Officers attended and a man and a woman were found dead inside the property.

‘The deaths are being treated as unexplained and inquiries are ongoing, with officers still at the scene.’

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It was a mother and son. We rarely saw them. They seemed lovely but very quiet people.’

A man and a woman were found dead – with police saying the deaths are being treated as unexplained

The bodies were discovered by police in Norwood Road (pictured) in March, Cambridgeshire

A spokesperson from the force said: ‘Officers attended and a man and a woman were found dead inside the property’

Police have described the two deaths as ‘unexplained’, as investigations continue at the scene

The discoveries were made at the home in March on Wednesday afternoon shortly before 2pm

Police tape has been put across a driveway between two houses leading to three bungalows set back from the street, including the one where the bodies were found.

Locals said they had seen two gas workers’ vans parked near the emergency services yesterday but sources close to the investigation said a gas or carbon monoxide leak had been ruled out.

The woman who said the two people found were a mother and son added: ‘We didn’t hear anything – first we knew of it was when all the police turned up. I didn’t hear any explosions or loud bangs.’

Mrs Nicholas, who was known as Sandy, had bought her bungalow – built from a converted railway carriage – just over 20 years ago.

Neighbours said that her electrician son moved in with her about five years ago.

Retired steel worker Philip Ball, 71, who lives two doors away, said: ‘It is a mystery what happened. We certainly did not hear anything suspicious.

‘The police came round to ask us about them, but they did not give any clues about what had happened

‘They were just normal average people who kept themselves to themselves.

‘Sandy was a nice enough person and would chat to people when she came out.

‘I used to see her catching the bus to go shopping – but more recently her son was going to the shops instead by bus or taxi.

‘She told me that Matthew was an electrician, but he got knocked off his bicycle and injured a couple of years ago and I don’t think he had worked since.

‘Sandy used to do voluntary work at the little museum in town, but I think she stopped about a year ago.’

Residents also posted on Facebook about ambulance paramedics, police and the fire service being in attendance.

March is a town with a population of about 20,000, about 20 miles east of Peterborough. 

It was a minor port in the 16th century and later became a market town after it was granted a Royal Charter in 1670. Pleasure boats pass through now on a navigable route of the River Nene.

Major employers in the area are HMP Whitemoor, which opened in 1991 and is a maximum security prison for around 500 men, and food processing factories serving agricultural businesses.