A Northolt man has spoken of the harrowing day he found a dead body hanging from a tree in an Acton cemetery.

Stephen Purcell was working in Acton Cemetery, Park Royal Road, last month (May 17), after being deployed there as a gravedigger by Ealing Council.

He set out that day with fellow colleague Camin to re-open one of the graves so that another coffin could be buried in the same spot.

At first, Mr Purcell believed he saw a man standing up in the distance before returning to his van for some food and a break shortly before 10am.

But after returning 20 minutes later, he got closer to the scene and discovered the man to be hanging from a tree - with his body around one feet above the ground hanging by a rope.

A shocked Mr Purcell said: "We were at a different part of the cemetery and we were moving the grave stone.

"That was when we saw the man from a distance, and then we got back in to the van.

"Then we walked back down and saw him hanging from a tree. I just saw his face and his neck - he looked like he was in his 20s.

"I know we bury bodies, but you never expect to see that."

'I can't sleep anymore'

Mr Purcell, who moved to Northolt from Essex in 1999, says the experience has left him unable to sleep since he discovered the body.

The Northern Irishmen was involved in a serious car accident 20 years ago which left him with psychological problems - and says the discovery of the body has seen them return.

He added: "I was involved in a serious car accident 20 years ago and it took me a while to get over it.

"But now after seeing the body it is back to the old days and I can't sleep anymore".

London Ambulance Service (LAS) confirmed that they were called to reports of an incident near Park Royal Road on May 17.

A spokesperson said: "We sent an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and a single responder by car to the scene.

"Sadly, a person was pronounced dead at the scene".

On Wednesday (June 15) morning police found a body hanged in Northolt but officers are not treating the death suspiciously.