Kyle Doherty: Body of teenage footballer found in courtyard of nightclub where he went missing on New Year's Eve

Police say he was not reported missing till 1.45pm on Thursday but questions are being asked over the time it took to find him

Suede nightclub, where Kyle Doherty had been celebrating the New Year and where his body was found in the courtyard (Google Streetview and GMP)

Questions are being asked after it took police more than eight hours to find the body of a missing Scottish teenager who was found in the club where he was reported missing.

Initial reports suggested 19-year-old Kyle Doherty had been reported missing from Suede nightclub in Manchester at 01:45 on New Year’s Day and his body was found in a courtyard at the club at 10pm on Thursday.

However, Greater Manchester Police later clarified that his disappearance had only been reported to them at 1:45pm on New Year’s Day – just over eight hours after his body was found.

The force tweeted this picture of Mr Doherty on Thursday evening with an appeal.

Kyle went missing in the early hours of New Year's Day, sparking this police appeal (Greater Manchester Police)

Within hours, the body was found in the club’s courtyard.

There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death, but officers are still investigating how he died. One line of inquiry is he may have accidentally fallen from a terrace.

The teenager has not been formally identified, but his next of kin have been informed. It is thought Mr Doherty was a youth team midfielder with Stenhousemuir FC, who are in Scottish League One.

In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said: “The body of a 19-year-old man has been found in the city centre.

“At around 10pm yesterday, Thursday 1st January 2015, officers discovered the body of a man on Longworth Street, near Deansgate.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious and formal ID has yet to take place.”

The force was unable to confirm why it took so long to find the body as the investigation is in its early stages. The club told the Manchester Evening News it was assisting police with the investigation and offered its condolences to the man’s family.