AN INVESTIGATION was under way today into the apparent suicide of a man at a house in Rossendale.

The grim find of the dead man's body was made by fire crews who were called to the semi-detached home in Meadow Head Avenue, Whitworth just before 8.30pm on Saturday to reports of a gas explosion.

The man was today named as father-of-two Victor Clarke, 52, who lived alone in the house in the quiet residential area.

The explosion blew out most of the house windows and lifted up the roof of a ground-floor extension, believed to be at the centre of the blast.

The exact cause of the explosion is now being probed by police and fire investigators who were at the house for most of Sunday carrying out forensic examinations.

However, police said initial investigations appeared to point to a deliberate explosion with suicide as the motive.

Sgt Chris Shaw, of Burnley police, said: "We were called to what at the time was the report of an explosion and that is now under investigation by the fire service and the police. A man was found dead at the property and it would appear that it was suicide as a note was found at the address."

A police spokesman added: "The death is not being treated as suspicious and police are continuing their investigations."

Flowers had been left at the house by neighbours who said Mr Clarke had lived at the house alone after separating from his wife. He had two grown-up children, a son and a daughter.

Margaret Craggs, a neighbour who left a card and bouquet at the house, said: "Vic was a really nice man, he was so lovely and it is just so sad. I really don't know why he would do anything like this, but then why does anybody?

"We heard everything that happened on Saturday. There was a massive bang and then smoke coming from the house."

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "We heard a massive explosion and the house just shook. We ran outside to see smoke and the windows smashed. Whatever happened it has left the house in a real mess. You really don't expect something like this in a quiet street like this. You see it on the news but don't expect it in your own backyard. It's a real shock."