A man believed to be homeless was tragically found dead in a shop doorway in Manchester city centre early today, the M.E.N. can reveal.
Police and emergency services were called to Bloom Street in Manchester’s Gay Village at 10.20am on Sunday. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said the man was sadly ‘declared deceased’ at the scene.
The death is not being treated as suspicious and the force said a cause of death has not yet been determined. Investigations, said by police to be in their ‘early stages’, were continuing today.
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The tragedy came as the first flurries of winter snow were reported in Greater Manchester late on Saturday night and temperatures hovered around freezing overnight, with a Met Office weather warning issued for snow and ice.
GMP said the man, who hasn’t been named, was found ‘on the street’, but witnesses at the scene said he was discovered lying on steps in a doorway.
A police forensic tent was put up on Bloom Street, straddling the road and the pavement, in the aftermath, with two police officers pictured standing guard at the scene.
A cordon was established by police, with police tape stretching out across the road to the car park opposite.
The M.E.N. understands the man was found slumped on steps in a doorway between the Village Chippy and Roadie’s fast-food takeaway, near to the taxi rank.
One man, who walked past the scene at around 9am, said he saw the man, who is known in the area, in the doorway and that he assumed he was asleep.
“I spotted him and thought he was sleeping,” he said. “I’ve been here since this morning. A couple came out of the car park opposite and went over to him and he didn’t flinch or move at all, so they rung the ambulance.”
A staff member at a local shop, meanwhile, told the M.E.N. police were at the scene when they arrived to open up shortly before midday. No age for the man has been released by police either.
The tent remained within the cordon until police left the scene at around 2pm on Sunday. A report on the man’s death and a file of evidence is being prepared for the coroner’s office in Manchester, said GMP.
A GMP spokesperson told the Manchester Evening News: “At approximately 10.20am on Sunday, December 3 2023, officers were called to reports of an incident on Bloom Street in Manchester. The body of a man was discovered on the street and he was sadly declared deceased.
“This investigation is in its very early stages and the cause of death is yet to be ascertained. A scene has been put in place and enquires are ongoing.
“Police are not treating the death of the man as suspicious nor is there believed to be any at third-party involvement. A report will be made for the coroner.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
