Christmas party-goer lies dead in Sheffield restaurant overnight

The tragedy happened at Le Bistrot Pierre in Sheffield's Ecclesall Road on Friday evening. It is understood that the party-goer, a 25-year-old man, fell ill and went into the toilets of the restaurant, where he then died.

His workmates subsequently left, not realising their colleague was still in the building, and the man's death was not discovered until restaurant manager Nick Dunkley went into the toilets on Saturday.

The police were called and the restaurant was then closed as a "mark of respect".

A post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death is set to take place today.

One of the owners of the French restaurant, Robert Beacham, told the Yorkshire Post: "Somebody was taken ill on Friday night and died in the building.

"The body was discovered on Saturday morning.

"His friends had gone home without him and the poor chap was then found in our toilet by the manager, Nick. He was 25 years old, with a wife, and had apparently become ill and taken himself to the toilet.

"We closed the restaurant on Saturday and Sunday out of respect."

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police confirmed they attended Le Bistrot Pierre on Saturday and said there were no suspicious circumstances regarding the man's death.

The death came a week after another branch of Le Bistrot Pierre, in Harrogate, was temporarily closed after an explosion.