Confirmed: Death on school premises "not suspicious"

EXCLUSIVE @ INFONEWS.CO.NZ: The body of a New Plymouth Girls High School male staff member was found at 7.30pm last night on school grounds. 

The body was discovered by another member of the staff and principle of the school Jenny Ellis said staff were grieving for the man,  who had worked at the school for a decade.

''It has just been the most distressing and devastating news.'' she said.

Sergeant Grant Roper said police and paramedics had been called to the school at 8pm.

''There are no suspicious circumstances and the death has been referred to the coroner.''

He said police were investigating the death.

Mrs Ellis said few students were in attendance at school yesterday because the senior pupils were on exam leave and an outdoor education programme was running for the rest of the students.

No formal announcement about the man's death had been made yesterday.

''The grief and sense of loss is primarily being felt by the staff at the moment. Most of the students will be back tomorrow.''

Mrs Ellis said the staff member who had found the man dead had gone looking for him after a phone call from his wife saying he had not returned home. The man was not a teacher.

The story first broke to us at around 10.30am this morning when numerous reports from students and the public came flowing in the newsroom.  

In all reports we were told the person had commit suicide however this can not be confirmed. 

The official story was then broke at 4.45pm by infonews.co.nz then officially at 5pm.