Body found in River Mersey after major search near Pier Head

A body has been recovered from the River Mersey following a major search operation involving the Coastguard, Merseyside emergency services and a rescue helicopter.

At around 9.50am on Sunday (February 11), Merseyside Police received reports that what appeared to be the body of a man had been seen in the river near Pier Head.

A search and rescue helicopter was employed to patrol the river and emergency service personnel were spotted at the Mersey Ferry terminal at around 10.00am.

Following a major co-ordinated search of the water, a body was found and recovered at 4.30pm. Police say the man is yet to be formally identified and his death is being treated as unexplained.

In a statement on Monday, a spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "A post mortem examination will take place to establish the cause of death and enquiries will be ongoing to establish the identity of the person and to ensure his next of kin are informed."