'Riddle' of pensioner Dennis's final hours

DETECTIVES are investigating the sudden death of a Guernsey pensioner. Dennis Carre, 69, died in the Princess Elizabeth Hospital on Sunday after being found collapsed at a private address in Havilland Street, St Peter Port, on Friday night.

Mr Carre was last seen leaving the Harbour Lights pub on South Esplanade at 7pm and officers want to hear from anyone who might have seen him between then and 9pm.

'He was wearing a distinctive neck collar and so we are hoping to jog people's memories,' said Detective Sergeant Andy Whitton.

Mr Carre, who lived at Maison Celine, opposite the police station, was a regular at the pub and a keen dominoes and euchre player.

Fellow pub-goers paid tribute to the man known as 'the vicar' because of his surgical collar.

'He had a heart of gold,' said Kevin Green, 45. 'Up until teatime on Friday, I was drinking with him and chatting. I asked him if I'd see him tomorrow and he said ?yes?. Who knows what lies ahead of you?'

Police said that a post-mortem examination would be carried out today.

'Until we have the results, we will not know the full circumstances of what happened.'

But Mr Carre's family were confident that there were no suspicious circumstances.

'As far as we are concerned he had a brain haemorrhage... there is nothing suspicious,' said his brother, Dave, 63.

They expect the post-mortem to confirm this.

'We are devastated. He was not just my brother - he was one of my best mates.

'He was doing engineering work in Birmingham and had an industrial accident. He got compensation from the government. He was not a well man. '

Eddie Masterman, 58, was with Dennis Carre and other regulars in the pub on Friday.

'We were playing euchre and he was watching us. He was happy, laughing and chatting.'

Friend Royston Le Noury, 68, said: 'He was always playing euchre with his brother, Dave.

'He has been to the doctor a few times in the last few weeks.'