An elderly dog walker found dead in woods could have been stabbed to death by drug gangs using the area as a meeting point, concerned residents claimed today.

The 83-year-old man died after he was repeatedly stabbed in the head and neck while in a popular area of woods bordering heathland near East Harling, Norfolk.

Today, members of the community queued at the police cordon to tell officers about sightings of suspected drug deals in the quaint woodland beauty spot. Forensic teams and police dog units continued to investigate the crime scene today after the married father-of-two was found dead on Sunday morning.

Terry Ransom, 73, said he and his wife walked where the body was found nearly every day – and the elderly victim could have stumbled upon a drug deal. After speaking to police officers guarding the crime scene, Mr Ransom said: 'I only came down here because it could have been me. I feel a bit gutted really.

'I've got to think of that old chap, he's come up here in the morning, he's gone and done his normal walk and someone has stabbed him to death.

'I would suggest that this area is a well-known drugs exchange area. I cannot see why a random attacker would attack an 83-year-old unless it's for drugs.

'It's a shock to me that he's only just got up and he's just taken his dogs walking. It is known in the area, people are in and out here all the time. 'My wife sees what goes on a lot. They were in there at the end of June, one was about 20 and one was about 35.

'She has seen a lot of strange cars up that bit and you normally look to see if they have got a dog but they sit in their cars and then they are gone.

'I always carry a stick with me when it's dark and I'm walking just in case someone did come out.'

A forensics team, police sergeant, officers and PCSOs were at the crime scene today where several police cars and vans were parked by the sealed off area.

Mr Ransom said the area had been popular with dog walkers for years but he and his wife had started spotting suspicious activity in the woods at the end of June.

Mr Ransom, who lives in Attleborough but takes his Lurcher dog to the site, said: 'It's the one place around here you can really let the dogs off.