Body found in water by BBC Media City in Salford

Police closed off part of the area near the Media City Metrolink stop as investigations continued

The body was found in Salford Quays (PA)

A body has been found in a dock near the BBC’s headquarters in Greater Manchester.

Police said the man's corpse was found at around midday on Easter Monday near the Media City Metrolink tram stop in Salford Quays.

"There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death," Greater Manchester Police said in a statement. "It is currently being treated as unexplained."

The man's age is unknown and the force added that forensic work and further enquries were underway to try and establish his identity.

Divers were seen entering the water with a stretcher.

It follows years of rumours that a serial killer known as the “Manchester Pusher” was pushing victims into waterways across the city.

Relatives of people found have raised fears that their deaths were suspicious, and rumours have been fuelled by “unexplained” inquest verdicts and coroners being unable say why people fell into water.

After a 2014 Freedom of Information request revealed the region had seen dozens of deaths in canals in six years, police launched a review.

Greater Manchester Police found “no evidence to support the theory that a serial killer is at large” after looking again at 85 waterway deaths.

Last April, the rumours restarted after a cyclist was thrown into the Bridgewater canal from a path near Old Trafford football stadium at 10pm last Tuesday.

Police appealed for help finding the suspect but stressed there was no evidence to link it to other incidents.

Following the 2018 incident, Manchester’s city centre spokesman called the “pusher” theory an urban myth and said most deaths were accidents linked to alcohol consumption.

“The police and the council have examined every case in the city centre over the last 10 years and have found no link or connection between the fatalities,” councillor Pat Karney told the Guardian.

“It’s an urban myth that will never die, and any time there’s an incident or accident it comes up again. I think it causes distress to the families that have lost their loved ones.”