AN elderly man has died suddenly at a home in Sandhurst earlier today. 

Police were called to a house in Scotland Hill at 12.47pm and confirmed the death of the man, which is not believed to be suspicious. 

The man, thought to be in his 80s, is suspected to have shot himself after a neighbour recalled hearing a gunshot earlier today (Wednesday).

An employee at nearby Alberta House, who asked to not be named, said he saw police carry a rifle out of the property. 

A police forensic van was parked outside the home throughout the afternoon and neighbours were asked if they had heard a 'disturbance'. 

Next-door-neighbour Elizabeth Yeomans, 91, said: "I've lived here over 50 years.

"I heard a gun shot earlier when I was out in my garden, I knew he belonged to a shooting club and had a licence and when they would have the day off we used to hear the gun going off all the time.

"I thought perhaps he had been up in the back bedroom and was practising but I wondered if he was well enough to be using the gun as I knew he hadn't been able to for quite some time. 

"I'm not sure how old he was but I think he was in his eighties and his wife is a bit younger."

The Alberta House employee said he saw police cars come 'flying' up the road at around 12.30pm and officers rush to the house.

He said: "The police officer came to ask us if we had heard anything and said there had been some kind of disturbance.

"We had just come back from dinner so that was the first thing we had known about it and obviously we didn't have the foggiest what had happened.

"Obviously you think the worst when you see the forensic van.

"A lorry driver passing by had said he had seen police carrying out a number of rifles."

Some next-of-kin have been informed with others yet to find out about the incident.