At 11.22pm,, emergency services were contacted after a man was discovered dead outside Hastings Insurance opposite the Hastings Hotel on High Street, Wauchope, with a gun shot wound to his head.

A gun was found at the scene.

Officers from Mid North Coast Police District arrived and established a crime scene.

Whilst he has not been positively identified, the dead man is believed to have been 74 years old.

Initial inquiries suggest the incident is related to self-harm. However, investigators are appealing for any witnesses who saw the man before the incident to come forward.

In particular, police would like to speak to the occupants of a light-coloured sedan, which was seen to pull over on High Street about 11.09pm.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police immediately.