Amber Stebbings, 28, was arrested on Friday night in Lowestoft’s Sparrow’s Nest Gardens, a sprawling parkland overlooking the North Sea.

Officers had been called to the park, in the north of the town, shortly after 10pm where they found Stebbings and the unresponsive body of a Gary Grant, 54.

Despite the efforts of the emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

One police cordon remains in place around Sparrow’s Nest Bowls Club (Image: Newsquest)

Stebbings, of no fixed address, was charged with murder on Sunday and will appear at Great Yarmouth Magistrates Court on Monday.

A post mortem examination was carried out on Mr Grant over the weekend but a police spokesman said the cause of death was still pending further investigation.

Officers have, however, said that the incident is being treated as an “isolated” one and that the pair are understood to have known each other.

A bouquet of flowers left at the scene (Image: Newsquest)

The park – one of Lowestoft’s best known and next to the town’s lighthouse – was closed for much of the weekend as investigations continued.

In the 19th century, the park was the grounds and formal gardens of the summer residence of Robert Sparrow, a local wealthy landowner.

In the 1890s it was purchased by the local council in the 1890s and became a popular venue for concerts and other public events.

During the Second World War, the park was taken over as the HQ and depot of the Royal Naval Patrol Service.

It is now home to a children’s play area, a bowling green, three museums and two cafes.

The park has since reopened to members of the public (Image: Newsquest)

It is open 24 hours a day and families living nearby have reported hearing shouting on Friday night.

Malcolm Raven, 68, a retired chicken factory worker, who lives near the park, said: “I think it’s a bit close to home – you don’t want that.”

He said a lot of people use the park and it was normally “buzzing”.

Although he did not see or hear anything, Mr Raven said his wife heard a commotion.

“She heard someone shouting.” he said.

“She was in bed at 9pm.

“I think she was on her way to going to sleep.

“She said she heard someone shout out.”

Nigel Nicholls, 67, who also lives near the park, which is close to Ness Point – the most easterly point of the UK – said for a man to have been killed so close to his home was “quite a surprise”.

One man, who did not want to be identified, was visibly shocked to find out what happened and said: “I can’t remember the last time there was a murder in Lowestoft”.

After the park reopened on Sunday, a bouquet of flowers was left on one of the walls in the park, which was previously cordoned off.

One person also paid tribute to Mr Grant online, saying: “Will miss you mate”, while another person described Gary as “a lovely man”.

A third person commented: “Thoughts are with his family at this sad time”.

A local walking through the park described what happened as “a terrible thing to happen” and said they heard police officers were on the scene in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A spokesman for Suffolk Police said Mr Grant’s family were being supported by specialist officers.

Officers have asked members of the public with information to contact Suffolk Police, quoting crime reference 37/16062/26, by calling 101 or via the website.