A GROOM-to-be from Leigh died after being pulled from a Liverpool dock while celebrating his stag do, police said.

Emergency services went to the aid of three men in the water in Salthouse Dock, near the Echo Arena, on the River Mersey at 9.45pm on Saturday.

Two men in their early twenties were initially rescued but the third, aged 24, was only found after a further "extensive" search, Merseyside Police said.

The man was later pronounced dead at the city's Royal Liverpool University Hospital. His family have been informed.

A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "An investigation is now under way to establish the circumstances surrounding the death.

"The three men, who are believed to be friends from Leigh were in the city for a night out and are believed to have been drinking in the Albert Dock area before the tragic incident."