A COMMUNITY has spoken of its shock after a man in his 70s died in a stabbing incident.

Police and paramedics were called to a house in Oakland Street, Silsden, early this morning.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers arrested a man in his 40s on suspicion of murder.

He remains in custody.

Police, who were alerted to the incident at 8.16am, and a forensics team have spent much of the day at the property.

The terraced street was sealed off.

District ward councillor, Andrew Mallinson, said he received a phone call from the police alerting him to what had happened.

"They told me it was a domestic incident and were keen to provide reassurance that there wasn't someone with a knife at large in Silsden posing a danger to the public generally," he said.

"What's happened is of course extremely distressing for the family concerned and my thoughts go out to them.

"The circumstances will become clearer in time but meanwhile the police should be left to get on with their inquiries."

Cllr Mallinson had pushed for a system to be set-up whereby police inform ward councillors at an early stage of any major incident on their patch.

"It is important that community representatives are given some basic information so that we are aware of the background should people approach us, and it has worked in this case," he added.

Ward councillor and Silsden Town Council member, Adrian Naylor, also received a call from the police.

"Like the rest of Silsden will be, I'm shocked at the events," he said.

"My thoughts are with the family of the victim at this time."

Town councillor Keith Savage, who lives in nearby Aire View, said he couldn't believe what had happened.

"Silsden is such a friendly place and you just don't expect anything like this on your doorstep – it's a tragedy," he added.

Martin Twigg, who runs Twiggs newsagents and the post office in Kirkgate, said: "It is a shock and a lot of people coming into the shop have been talking about it.

"Rumours circulate too with anything like this so you have to be careful what you take as gospel."