Canal murder inquiry team urgently seeking two men

Searches are taking place near the River Nene

Murder inquiry detectives investigating the death of a man found fatally injured by a canal have urged two potential witnesses to come forward.

Officers were called to a footpath behind Auctioneers Court, Northampton, at 06:30 BST on Friday, where Robert Brown, 57, was found on a bench.

Police said how he died has not been established, but a post-mortem examination on Saturday found he had an arm wound.

Officers want to speak to two males seen on the river bank in the area of Beckets Bridge and Beckets Park at about 04:00 on the morning Mr Brown was found.

Police have released this CCTV image of Robert Brown, who visited Morrisons supermarket in Northampton town centre on the evening of 31 July

Det Ch Insp Jen Lovatt, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: "Two males – we can't be sure of their ages at this stage – were walking along the river bank in the area near to where Robert was found.

"If you were in the area of Beckets Bridge and Beckets Park in the early hours of Friday, we would really like to speak with you.

"You may not realise it, but it's possible you saw or heard something that would help us with the investigation."

Part of a footpath remains closed and the River Nene is closed to river traffic between London Road bridge and Nunn Mills Road bridge.

The men police would like to speak to were seen in the area of Beckets Bridge and Beckets Park at about 04:00

Northamptonshire Police has also appealed to residents who may have camera footage taken between 19:30 on 31 July and 07:00 on 1 August to contact them.

Det Ch Insp Lovatt added: "Anyone else who was in the area of Auctioneers Court or the river bank in that area overnight on Thursday 31 July to Friday 1 August, who we haven't yet spoken to, is also asked to get in touch.

"Any information, no matter how small, can help us piece together exactly what happened to Robert and how he came to be fatally injured."