COUNCILLORS expressed the thoughts and prayers of the Keighley community this week following the sudden death of a woman in Lawkholme.

Politicians representing the neighbourhood where the woman in her 30s was found, spoke of their shock at the tragedy on Sunday afternoon.

The three councillors spoke after police revealed the woman’s death at the house in Byrl Street was not being treated as suspicious.

The three district councillors who represent Keighley Central ward said their thoughts and prayers were with the woman’s family, which had lived in Keighley for more than decades.

Cllr Abid Hussain, who is also the Lord Mayor of Bradford, described the death as tragic.

He said: “I know the family, I know her father-in-law. They’re not a bad family. They’ve lived in Keighley for a long time, at least since I arrived in 1971.

“The family are so upset about what happened, they don’t want to talk about it.”

Fellow district councillor and long-time community leader Zafar Ali said he had known members of the woman’s family for more than 40 years and has helped them out in the past.

He said: “My prayers and my heart goes out to the family and the children. I’m glad the death is not suspicious. The coroner will hold an inquest at a later date to decide the cause.”

Cllr Khadim Hussain, a former Lord Mayor of Bradford, said he was relieved the police had revealed there were no suspicious circumstances, which had stopped speculation by local people.

He added: “I know the family. I’ll be going to see them.”

The woman was found by ambulance service staff at the house in Byrl Street at 2.57pm on Sunday, and called police to investigate.

Officers cordoned off the street on both sides of the through-terrace house for more than 24 hours, so they could carry out initial investigations, and had to wait almost 48 hours before confirming there were no suspicious circumstances.

Following an inconclusive post-mortem police revealed further tests would have to be carried out to establish a cause of death.

A file has been prepared for the coroner.

Byrl Street is an area of terraced housing running between Eric Street and Hard Ings Road, near the Lawkholme Lane junction.