A man who died of a cardiac arrest on Plumstead Common was reportedly left as people thought he was sunbathing.

The man, who was in his 30s, died of cardiac arrest on the green, near Chestnut Rise, last night (Jul 21).

Emergency services were called to the scene around 6.30pm, and upon arrival found the man was already dead.

Neighbours reported seeing the man jogging before later seeing him lying on the ground.

A 52-year-old neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: “My son saw him just before it happened, around 5.30pm. Later he looked out the window and saw him laying on the ground.

“If my son had told me straight away, I might have been able to do something.

“It looked like people were trying to help him but were having no luck. Paramedics turned up but they weren’t able to save him.”

The Old Mill Road resident added: “I went out and saw his face after he died and it was blue. It looked like he’d been dead some time, I don’t think they could save him.

“I spoke to a paramedic who said someone looked out their window and saw him laying on his back and they thought he was sunbathing. He was in jogging gear.

“When the paramedic was there I didn’t see her pumping his chest, he was clearly dead. There was a crowd of people standing around.

“I heard they found some information on him in his pockets that said he had a heart condition.”

MORE TOP STORIES His 14-year-old son said: “He was running down the pathway here and I cycled past him. He was still jogging, but he wasn’t very fast, he didn’t look out of breath.

“When I looked out my window he was laying down with his arms above his head.

“It’s really sad.”

Police taped off part of the common following the tragedy.

Neighbour Olive Wightman, 88, who’s lived there for 67 years, said: “I’ve never heard of anything like this happening.

“Police were here for ages then a private ambulance came along.

“We could see him lying there wrapped up in a blanket, but you could see it was a body. It’s very sad, I couldn’t get it out my mind.”

Police confirmed his death is not being treated as suspicious.

Another neighbour, Barry Small, 59, said: “I didn’t realise at that time that it was terminal, then I saw later, it was covered, but clearly a dead body.

“He was laying there from about 5.30pm until 9 before the private ambulance came and took him away.

“He was there for a long time, it could have been done quicker. They should have covered him up with a tent; he was there for far too long. It was obvious what it was for people walking past, children.”

In tributes paid online people claimed he was a former soldier in the British Army.

His next of kin have been informed and a post mortem will take place in due course.

Would you like to leave a tribute? Get in touch on Rebecca.Flood@london.newsquest.co.uk