THE inquest into the death of a man who was found on New Year's Eve at the canal in Little Lever has opened.

A post-mortem examination found that Daxeshkuma Jayantial Patel, aged 40, died as a result of drowning.

The short inquest opening heard that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

The care worker who was born in India lived in Huxley Street, Horwich.

Mr Patel was found after police were called to Prestolee Locks at 8.25am after a member of the public reported a car in the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal.

Following the incident, police fire and ambulance crews remained at the scene for a number of hours.

Cordons also remained in place along the canal towpath, and at the entrance to the Meccano Bridge in Boscow Road, while the car was recovered later in the afternoon.

The locks are about half a mile from the centre of Little Lever.

The inquest will resume on Thursday, May 10.