Police who broke into a North Yorkshire shop after a call from a worried wife today discovered a workman dead and another seriously ill.

Police officers who found the men in the loft of the shop believe a build-up of fumes may be to blame for the incident at Porters Menswear Retail, in Oxford Street, Harrogate.

Officers forced their way into the shop at 7.50am today and discovered the men, who ambulance crews said were believed to be a father and son.

A middle-aged man was found dead and a younger man was taken to Harrogate District Hospital. Police described his condition as "very ill".

Neither of the men has yet been identified, but police said they were thought to be from the Harrogate area.

A police spokesman said "At the moment it appears some kind of build-up of fumes may be responsible but it is too early to be certain."

He said that there was no evidence of fire, and it is not yet known whether gas could be to blame.

A spokesman for gas supply firm Transco said it had no record of any incident in the street concerned.

A police spokesman said that officers had received a phone call from a concerned woman in the Harrogate area saying her husband had not returned home, prompting police to investigate.

The Health and Safety Executive has sent an inspector to the incident.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said that it would be looking into the matter.

Police, fire and ambulance vehicles attended the incident, and the street was cordoned off.

A shopkeeper in the street said: "There have been two ambulances but they have left the area, there is lots of police activity."

He added that a traffic warden had "mentioned fumes".

Updated: 11:18 Tuesday, January 30, 2001