DETECTIVES investigating the death of a Leigh teenager who drowned after jumping into a canal have issued an urgent appeal for three men to come forward.

As reported in yesterday's BEN, police divers found the body of 15-year-old David Brown in the Leeds-Liverpool canal near the Crankwood Road swing bridge on Saturday.

Witnesses told police that non-swimmer David, of Derwent Street, Astley, and another friend, jumped into the canal to escape from a gang of men who were chasing them on the Plank Lane estate early on Saturday.

Police want to speak to three men who were seen speaking to David and his friends.

It is understood that both groups ran across the old Bickershaw Colliery site, where a dispute occurred, before David and one friend jumped into the water. The two groups were seen together between half past midnight and 1.30am on Saturday near the junction of Common Lane and Plank Lane.

One man is white, aged 18, with short blond hair, medium build, 5ft 9 ins tall, dark clothing. Another is aged about 20, 5ft 7 ins tall, with short black hair and wearing a three-quarter length jacket. One man had a bicycle with him.

Police also want to speak to anyone who may have been asked to give three men in wet clothing a lift from the Pennington Flash area to Tyldesley early on Saturday morning.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 872 5050.

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