A 55-year-old man found dead after a suspicious house fire in northern Taranaki, had been killed by a gunshot

The body of Sidney Ross Bridson was discovered after the arson of a Waitaanga property in the Ruapehu district - on October 11 last year.

A post-mortem's shown the man's cause of death was due to a gunshot wound.

Police are now appealing for any sightings of a black, late model LDV van that was seen in the area around the time of the incident.

They say two people were in the van, one believed to be a Caucasian man in his mid-20s.