DETECTIVES were today quizzing a man over a suspicious death at a village near York.

Officers were called to a semi-detached house off the A19 on the outskirts of Skelton at 6pm yesterday.

Paramedics had been called to the property to help a man who was reported to have collapsed inside. Attempts were made to revive him, but he was later pronounced dead.

Acting Detective Inspector Adam Harland said a young man was arrested at the scene and was expected to be interviewed by officers at Fulford Road police station today.

He said there was no evidence of a violent assault at the red brick house, which overlooks fields and lies beside the A19. He said it was not known if the man in custody lived at the property.

The house, in Skelton Springs, stood empty today as two police officers stood guard outside.

John Maxfield, operations manager for Ebor Marquees, which is based close to the property, said he saw the householder only hours before the tragedy, as he left work around 3.30pm yesterday.

He said he knew that a man, aged in his late fifties, lived at the house, and was often seen there with another, younger man. He said: "They were often in their garden cutting the grass or tending to their plants. They both seemed to be very keen gardeners."

Sergeant Nicola Lamb, of York Police, said: "At about 6pm yesterday evening police attended an incident at Skelton in conjunction with the ambulance service. An incident had occurred as a result of which a local man has been pronounced dead at the scene.

"A man has been arrested in connection with this and is helping police with their inquiries. Police are treating this as a suspicious death."

A spokesman for Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service said an ambulance crew attended the property after a report that a man had collapsed. He added that paramedics attempted to resuscitate the man, but were unsuccessful. He added: "It's a police matter."

A villager said a large number of police vehicles had been parked beside the A19 for several hours yesterday evening.

A woman at RGH Fire Services Ltd, based in the other half of the semi-detached house, declined to comment today.

Updated: 10:21 Wednesday, November 24, 2004