The body of a young man who fled police more than two months ago has been pulled from the bottom of a river at a beauty spot still wearing handcuffs.

Hampshire constabulary has launched an investigation into the death of the 22-year-old, who is believed to have drowned while on the run from police.

On 12 January, officers detained the man in Southampton, Hampshire, and placed him in handcuffs. It is thought he was about to be searched for drugs.

The man fled the officers wearing the handcuffs and police found no trace of him until a magnet fisherman – a hobbyist who searches for objects with metal on them underwater – discovered his body in the River Itchen at Riverside Park.

Police said initial inquiries suggested he had been in the water, next to Woodmill Activities Outdoor Centre, for some time.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has agreed the death should be investigated by Hampshire police and a file is being prepared for a coroner.

Police have not confirmed how near officers were to the river when they detained the man and have not said whether they believe he entered the water to evade officers or fell in. The death is not being treated as suspicious.

Hampshire police said on Wednesday: “We were called at 6.19pm on Sunday 17 March, after the body of a man was located in the River Itchen at Woodmill, Southampton.

“Identification has now taken place and we can confirm that the body is of a 22-year-old man from Southampton.

“We can confirm that he was handcuffed, having been detained by police in Southampton on 12 January. Initial inquiries suggest the body had been in the water for some time.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious at this time. An internal review is ongoing and a file is being prepared for the coroner.”

Tributes and flowers have been placed at the river bank close to where the man was found.

A postmortem took place on Sunday and an inquest will be opened when the body has been formally identified.



