THE body of a man was found in the River Croal in Bolton town centre early on Saturday morning.

It was discovered by a member of the public near to the Crown Street car park at around 5am.

Police cordoned off the surrounding area including Bank Street, Crown Street and Water Street for sometime.

A dozen officers stood guard and redirected workers, shoppers and members of the public away from the area. Motorists had to find alternative routes into the town centre.

A car parked on the Crown Street car park was sealed off with police tape. The body of the man was due to be removed from the scene later and a post mortem examination carried out.

Inspector Philip Haworth from Greater Manchester Police said: "We are treating the death as suspicious."

Staff at the nearby Bank Street private hire firm were shocked by the discovery of the body. They continued working but cars could not operate from outside the taxi office.

Anyone with information about the incident should call Bolton Police on 0161 872 5050.