A 33-year-old man was found hanged on the wall of a harbourside restaurant.

Coastguards tried in vain to save the life of the man who was discovered outside Vaughan’s Bistro on Custom House Quay, police said.

It is understood the Weymouth man, who has not yet been named, hanged himself with jump leads from a metal window box frame.

A local fisherman cut him down and coastguard staff working at the operations room nearby attempted resuscitation.

Paramedics arrived and took over but pronounced him dead shortly after, South Western Ambulance said.

Custom House Quay was cordoned off while the man’s body was removed to an ambulance and taken to the mortuary at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester.

The alarm was raised just before 6am yesterday.

Detective Inspector Marcus Hester of Weymouth CID said officers had arrived to find a man lying on the pavement and resuscitation being carried out.

He said he was satisfied there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and the coroner had been informed. Next of kin are also being contacted.

Sian Vaughan, who runs Vaughan’s Bistro with husband Mark, said she was shocked to hear of the death.

She said: “We live on the premises and were totally unaware of what happened until later when my mum phoned me because she had heard it from a fisherman.

“I was shocked to hear the man was discovered at the front of our building.”

Portland Coastguard operations manager Mark Rodaway said control room staff trained in first aid tried to help at the scene.

He said: “A fishing boat leaving the harbour saw what was going on and called us on the radio.

“A watch manager and one of our watch officers did all they could while awaiting professional assistance from the ambulance service.

“They had a to give witness statements to the police.”

The coroner’s office said inquiries were ongoing.