by Suzy Shanley

A newsagent has been found dead inside his store at a town centre shopping centre.

The body of father-of-two Bob Ogles, owner of Thames News in Thamesgate Shopping Centre in Gravesend was discovered on Sunday when the mall was still open.

Kent Police were called at about 3pm and officers entered the shop to recover the body. Police were unable to confirm reports that Mr Ogles had been found hanged.

Thames News remained closed when businesses re-opened after Bank Holiday Monday with a sign on the door saying it would remain so until further notice.

Mr Ogles, 53, from Hextable, bought the shop in 2007 after taking early retirement from his previous job as a film location manager.

After long, demanding hours spent finding locations for top shows, including London’s Burning, Little Britain, EastEnders, Silent Witness and Waking The Dead, he hoped life as a Gravesend trader would prove quieter.

However, in 2008 he was among several town centre firms plagued by a series of powercuts that left shops and offices in darkness.

The power failures hit during the credit crunch and at one point Mr Ogles said he was considering selling because he couldn’t deal with the stress.

Fellow traders were shocked at the news with some saying they couldn’t believe it had happened.

A police spokesman confirmed a body had been found and said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

She added: “A post mortem examination is due to take place in the next few days and an inquest into his death will then be opened.”