AN internal police investigation has been launched into the circumstances leading up to the death of a man in Stevenston earlier this month.

Last week we reported how the body of a man was discovered within a property in the town’s Hayocks Road and that his death was being treated as unexplained.

Just five days later, an investigation was launched into police contact with the man on the day before he was found dead.

The Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC) has been instructed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to carry out an investigation following the death of a 44-year-old man.

A spokesman for the PIRC said: “The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has instructed the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC) to undertake an investigation in relation to the circumstances leading up to the death of a 44-year-old man following the discovery of a body at a residential property in Stevenston, Ayrshire, on September 18, 2016.

“The investigation will focus on the deceased’s interaction with officers from Police Scotland prior to his death.

“A report on the Commissioner’s findings will be submitted to the COPFS in due course.”

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “We can confirm that an independent investigation will be carried out by the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner into police contact with a 44-year-old man on Saturday, September 17.”