Second arrest after man found dead on bench near Northampton canal

Police have bailed a second person to be arrested after a man was found dead on a bench near the canal in Northampton.

Robert Brown, 57, was found with a fatal arm injury near the River Nene in Northampton town centre at 6.30am on 1 August, Northamptonshire Police said.

A 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of his murder on Friday.

On Saturday, police said he had been released on bail, pending further investigation.

Another 38-year-old man had already been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently on bail.

The exact cause of Mr Brown's death is yet to be established, with a post-mortem examination to take place in the coming days.

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Paying tribute to him in a statement issued by police on Thursday, Mr Brown's family said he had a "heart of gold" and "was always ready to help others".

"We are truly devastated that Rob has been taken from us, but reading all the tributes on social media has provided some source of comfort," it read.

"It is lovely to know just how many people knew Rob and enjoyed his company.

"We will always miss his chirpy banter, but we know there are many happy memories to share and talk about."

Detective Inspector Torie Harrison, who is leading the murder investigation, said: "We are following all lines of enquiry as we work to establish the circumstances of Robert's death and I'm thankful to everyone who has assisted us with our work so far.

"We continue to ask for anyone who may have been in the area of the towpath behind Auctioneers Court from the evening of Thursday, 31 July, to the morning of Friday, 1 August, to contact us.

"Although you may think you don't have any information that could help us, that may not be the case.

"If you think you have any information that may help the investigation, please get in touch."