Detectives are appealing for help to identify the body of a tattooed man found in a canal over the weekend.

A member of the public reported seeing a body in the Leeds-Liverpool canal on Bolton Road in Blackburn shortly before midday on Saturday, January 21.

The cause of his death remains unknown, however it is not being treated as suspicious.

Lancashire Police said despite enquiries they have not been able to identify the man.

He is described as white, approximately in his 30s or 40s, around 6ft 3ins tall, of medium to heavy build and with a shaven head.

He was wearing a blue fleece hat with three ‘jester’ type tassles on the top, a lightweight waterproof Nike jacket that was two tone in dark and light blue, black Adidas tracksuit bottoms and a black and white striped T-shirt with some buttons at the shoulder.

He also has a tattoo across the back of his shoulders, a tattoo of a woman and some Chinese symbols on his left forearm along with a tribal-type tattoo on his inner right forearm.

DI Tim McDermott, from Blackburn CID, said: “This is a tragic scenario and I am very mindful that this man will have friends and family who need to be informed.

“I have an open mind on whether he is local to Blackburn and how long he has been in the water.

"He could be someone who has travelled to Blackburn from outside the area or the slow flow of the canal from east to west could mean he entered the water somewhere other than Blackburn, perhaps Burnley or even further afield.

“If anyone recognises the description please contact us, even if you are unsure”.

Anyone with information can call us on 101 quoting log number 0526 of January 21.