DETECTIVES were today quizzing a woman over the "suspicious" death of an elderly York man.

Police said officers were called to a house in the Tang Hall area after a member of the public made a 999 call last night.

They discovered the body of a 72-year-old man shortly after 7.40pm. A police spokesman said the cause of death was being treated as "suspicious".

A 32-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the death and was being held at York Police Station today.

A Home Office pathologist was travelling to York to conduct a post mortem examination to determine the cause of death.

One senior officer told the Evening Press that the circumstances surrounding the death were "extremely odd".

Although police said the incident occurred at a home in "the Tang Hall area", the Evening Press understands it may have taken place in the Dodsworth Avenue area of neighbouring Heworth.

Superintendent Allison Higgins, York Police operations commander, said that senior officers were meeting today to discuss the evidence.

She said Detective Superintendent Javad Ali, who heads York CID, was leading the investigation.

Inspector Dave Sutcliffe, of York Police, said: "As a result of a call from a member of the public, police attended an address in the Tang Hall area of York, where they found the body of a 72-year-old man.

"The death is being treated as suspicious. The cause of death is as yet unknown.

"A 32-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the death and is in custody at York Police Station helping police with their inquiries."

A spokesman for Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service confirmed that paramedics attended the man, who was thought to have "collapsed" at 7.40pm yesterday.

He said "it became a police matter" not long after paramedics arrived.

Updated: 10:00 Monday, October 11, 2004