A MAN who died after his Woodside home was burgled has been named locally as plumber Stanley Amarasinghe.
Police were called to the house in Beckford Road at 7.10pm yesterday (Wednesday) after reports of a burglary.
A Metropolitan Police Service spokesman said the 67-year-old, who has not yet been named officially, was "taken ill" before officers arrived.
Paramedics rushed him to hospital but he was pronounced dead.
The nature of his illness is unclear but his death is not being treated as suspicious.
Police believe the burglary happened some time between 11.30am and 7pm, and no one was in the house when the man returned home.
A post-mortem will take place in due course, and the man's next of kin have been informed.
No one has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Shopkeeper Shaji Ran from Meadvale Stores on Beckford Road said: "He was a very nice man who always stopped to say hello. Last winter when it was snowing he stopped all the children throwing snowballs at my shop. He was always asked how you were."
Neighbours on Beckford Road said they believed Mr Amarasinghe had previously undergone heart surgery, and had not been able to work since the operation.
Sheila Peterson, 65, said the Amarasinghe family had been burgled at least twice since moving into the area.
"They were a very tight family, they used to go out on Saturdays with a lot of food," she added.
"I thought the worst, they were doing CPR when the ambulance arrived.
"I feel so sorry for them, those poor children."
Neighbour Hazel Evans, 58, also described Mr Amarasinghe as a family man.
"I always used to see him with his three sons, he picked them up from school," she said.
"It was a real shock, you don't expect it in this area. He was a nice man."
Elaine Lowe, who also lives nearby, said she saw a woman leaning over the hedge praying when the police arrived on Wednesday evening.
She added: "It's very unusual to have a burglary in this street. It must have given him such a shock."
Detectives from Croydon CID are appealing for anyone with information to contact Detective Sergeant Parker on 020 3276 2179.
Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
