Detectives appeal after body pulled from Canal

Detectives are appealing for information after a body was sadly found in a canal in North Staffordshire.

Just before 9am on Sunday (10 December), police received a report of a body which had been spotted in a canal near to Deep Hayes Country Park on Sutherland Road, Longsdon.

Officers went to the scene with colleagues from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Sadly, the body of a man in his 40s was found at the scene.

His family are being supported by specially-trained officers at this traumatic time.

A 49-year-old man, from Dundee, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

He was questioned about what happened and was later released on conditional police bail.

Detective Inspector Nathan Hough, from CID, said: “My thoughts and condolences are very much with the man’s family at this deeply distressing time. I can’t imagine what they are feeling right now.

“Our investigation into what happened is very much ongoing. We have been speaking to people in the area, looking over CCTV and carrying out enquires to find out more.

“We’re particularly interested in speaking to anyone who was in the area between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. We are keeping an open mind but we think the man was walking next to the canal at some point in this timeframe after he left the Hollybush Inn on Denford Road.”

If you have any information which could help police, call 101, quoting incident 215 of 10 December, or message police using Live Chat on their website.

If you’d like to stay anonymous, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Tell them what you know, not who you are.