GEOFFREY Reed’s Boscombe flat was cordoned off yesterday for a fourth day of examination.

Neighbours said the 57-year-old was a quiet man who lived in a ground floor flat with three other men and a woman.

His flat is one of seven in a three-storey building on Cecil Road, off Sea Road.

The side passage and rear bin shed were taped off and both sides of the building were guarded by uniformed officers. Detectives came and went during the day.

Upstairs neighbour Devan Oates, 16, said: “There are three people staying in the lounge and two in the bedroom.

“Geoffrey was all right. He never did anyone any harm. He kept himself to himself. He had two labradors and a shar pei. I bought a puppy off him.

“He didn’t speak much and he didn’t speak to the people he lived with much. He used to ask for roll-ups off me.”

Robert Smith, 24, a painter and decorator, Devan’s uncle, said: “The police kept asking about Thursday, they were very interested in that day.

“There were 20-odd police outside until about 3am in the morning.

“I only knew Geoffrey to say ‘hello’ to and he seemed a quiet fellow. He always had a long face – down in the dumps.

“The last time I saw him, I believe it was last Monday. He was coming home down Sea Road, and he had a longer face than normal.

“I said ‘hello’ out of the window. He saw me but didn’t acknowledge me.

“I have got a couple of step children and they don’t know if they want to stay again because of what’s gone on.”

Edgaras Gvodas, 20, who lives in a neighbouring block of flats, said: “The police came on Sunday.

The flats are privately owned but contracted to Bournemouth Council’s housing services.