POLICE in Ramsbottom were today investigating the sudden death of a 58-year-old woman at her home.

Officers were called to her house in George Road at 10.20pm last night after she was found dead by a visitor.

Police said the death of the woman, who has not been named, was being treated as suspicious.

Forensics were called to the house last night to gather evidence from the scene.

A police spokesman said this morning: "Officers are still out at the scene carrying out investigations and doing door-to-door inquiries in the area."

It is thought the woman was to be named later today after Home Office pathologists carried out a post-mortem examination to establish a cause of death.

A 55-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death. He was today being questioned at Bury Police Station.

The widowed woman, who residents named as Joyce, was a "friendly neighbour who was well-liked in the area".

One 22-year-old neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "It's a very bad area around here, with drugs and crime. If it's not one thing, it's another. Joyce was a really nice lady, who everybody liked and got on with.

"Her husband died a few years ago and since then she took up drinking.

"We are all shocked around here, but we don't think anything suspicious has happened.

"Someone came round to my neighbour's last night to borrow ladders to get into Joyce's house which is when she was found. It is such a tragedy."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Bury CID on 0161 856 8150 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.