News broke yesterday that the actor and performer best known for starring as Tinky Winky in Teletubbies had sadly died at the age of 52.

Simon Shelton Barnes' family and friends confirmed that he died last Wednesday, just days after celebrating his 52nd birthday.

Police then confirmed yesterday that they found Simon Shelton Barnes' body at around 7.30am on 17 January, and it has now emerged that he's believed to have died from 'hypothermia', the Mail and other media outlets report.

His death is not being treated as suspicious by police, with one neighbour or friend reportedly saying: "We don't know many details, but we understand he collapsed in the street and possibly died of hypothermia."

A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "We have confirmed some details about the death of Simon Shelton Barnes.

"We were called to the Mann Island area of Liverpool on January 17 at about 7.30 in the morning to reports of a man being found deceased.

"There are no suspicious circumstances so anything else around this tragedy we are referring to the coroners."