Police close streets after unidentified body found in Birmingham city centre

Police are treating the death as “unexplained”

Birmingham suffers from unusually high crime rates. (Joe Giddens/PA) (PA Archive)

An unidentified man’s body was discovered in Birmingham City Centre in the early hours of Saturday.

The West Midlands Police have sealed off an area of Lower Temple Street.

In a statement a spokesman for the West Midlands Police said: “We have cordoned off an area of Lower Temple Street in Birmingham after a man’s body was found in the early hours of today (Saturday, March 18).”

“The man’s death is being treated as unexplained and enquiries are ongoing to ascertain what has happened. Until then, the scene will remain in place.”

The lane that has been shut off leads from New Street to Grand Central Station. A number of shops are now shut as they fall within the cordoned-off area.

Speaking to Birmingham Live a bystander said: “Lower Temple Street was cordoned off and there were two police cars.

“People were being directed away. It was alarming to see.”

Birmingham’s crime rates are unusually high by national standards making it the second most dangerous city in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, according to crimerate.co.uk.

The overall crime rate in Birmingham in 2022 was 145 crimes per 1,000 people. This is 76% higher than the national average in the rest of Great Britain excluding Scotland.