Colleagues of Croydon Athletic Chairman David Le Cluse have spoken of their shock and sadness at his sudden death over the weekend.

The 44-year-old is thought to have taken his life at a garage near his home on Saturday morning.

He was found on Parkgate Road with a gunshot wound to his head.

He was the director of a Beckenham-based pest control company, Merlin Pest Control, and his colleagues have released a statement about his death.

It reads: “We are shocked and saddened by the events at the weekend and our thoughts are with the family at this time."

The businessman came under enormous amounts of pressure when the club’s owner Mazhar Majeed was arrested in August and bailed over allegations of match fixing with members of the Pakistani cricket team.

It is alleged Majeed, a personal friend of Mr Le Cluse, used the football club to launder money from illicit gambling deals.

After Majeed's arrest, the club was on the brink of extinction, unable to afford to pay players and Mr Le Cluse came under enormous pressure as he sought to save the club.

Croydon Athletic have also expressed its sadness at the tragedy.

In a statement, it said: “Croydon Athletic are deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden tragic death of their Chairman, David Le Cluse, on Saturday October 2.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with David's wife and children, and we would ask everyone to respect their privacy at this devastating time for them."

The club has been embroiled in a series of controversies over the past year.

David Le Cluse had only been Chairman of the club for just under a year, stepping into the breach when Dean Fisher stepped down as chairman in November last year.

Fisher was jailed in July this year for embezzling more than £250,000 from his day job to prop up league champions Croydon Athletic.