Pensioner, 79, found dead at the bottom of an icy embankment

James Maw, 79, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, was found in the snow yesterday morning after he failed to return home from a trip to buy newspapers.

A post-mortem examination is due to take place later this week to find out how Mr Maw died.

South Yorkshire Police said they had been informed of the accident, on Longley Hall Road, in the Longley area of the city, but were not treating the death as suspicious.

Shop assistant Patricia Johnston said she went to look for "regular customer" Mr Maw after his worried wife rang the shop to try to find him when he failed to return home.

She spotted his walking stick on the icy pavement nearby and found his body at the bottom of the embankment.

"You get to know your regulars, and I was worried about the snow, so I decided to go out and look for him," Ms Johnston said.

"It was horrible - a massive shock. We saw him at the shop every day."

Ambulance crews pronounced Mr Maw dead at the scene, police said.