THE deaths of two men found in rooms above a pub in Stoneclough yesterday afternoon are not being treated as suspicious by police.

Officers ended their enquiries this morning and have passed the deaths of the men, aged 19 and 20, to the coroner.

The pair were found above The Grapes pub in Market Street, Stoneclough at about 2.15pm yesterday.

The men are understood to have been from the Isle of Man.

Police and forensic experts spent hours combing the scene for evidence yesterday after the discoveries were reported.

The precise cause of death has not been confirmed, but murder has been ruled out, while it is believed the pair did not take their own lives.

Early signs suggest the deaths may be the result of the consumption of drugs, although this has not been confirmed.

A police spokesman said: “At about 2.15pm on Monday, December 1 police were called to The Grapes Public House in Market Street in Stoneclough to reports two dead bodies had been found.

"When officers attended they found the bodies of two men, aged 19 and 20 in the accommodation above the pub.

"There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding their deaths and the coroner has been made aware."

No police vehicles were at the pub this morning, in stark contrast to the dramatic scenes there last night.

Two Crime Scene Investigation vans and a police van were stationed outside the pub, while witnesses said there were about eight police vehicles there initially, and the police helicopter was seen overhead.

The Bolton News understands the two men did not work at the pub, but staff at the pub are said to have spoken to police.

The pub was closed while police conducted their enquires, with the curtains of the building pulled across.

Nearby residents gathered around the pub watching police carry out their investigations, and witnesses reported seeing flashbulbs going off in a room on the first floor of the extension on the left-hand side of the pub.

Mark Cannon, aged 54, who lives nearby, said: "This is absolutely shocking. The Grapes is a friendly and quiet pub and we have never had any problems."

Another resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "This is absolutely horrible news to hear. It's terrible to think that something like this should happen over the pub."

An ambulance service spokesman said the men were dead when they arrived.