A post-mortem has been carried out on a body that was pulled from the River Severn in Shrewsbury, police said today. The body was discovered at the weekend.

See also: Body discovered in river

The Castlefields area was sealed off on Saturday morning after a member of the public made the discovery shortly after 8am.

Inspector Simon Lewis, of West Mercia Police, said the body, which he said was that of a man, has not yet been formally identified.

But he said a post-mortem was carried out yesterday by a Home Office pathologist.

It comes as police continue their search for Christopher Wall, of Severn Street, Castlefields. The 21-year-old went missing on Thursday after attending a funeral the previous day.

He said: “The body was found by the footbridge just before the weir and it was a member of the public walking past who spotted it.

“The body hasn’t been formally identified but a Home Office pathologist is carrying out a post-mortem.”

He said the man was pronounced dead at the scene by ambulance staff.

Following the discovery on Saturday the length of the towpath from the weir towards Shrewsbury was cordoned off by police. The Castle Walk Bridge was also sealed off with police tape.

Inspector Pete Gebbie said police officers had initially been sent to the Dorset Street area after the alarm was raised on Saturday.

A fire service spokesman for Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service said two pumps from Shrewsbury, the rescue tender from Wellington, the boat and rescue unit from Shrewsbury and the incident commander from Shrewsbury had attended.

West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed it was called to help police and the fire service remove a body from the river.