A British man has been found dead near an airport in Málaga, southern Spain. His hands and feet had been bound to a bench and his trousers were around his ankles, according to reports.

Spanish detectives are investigating after the man, named in reports as Steven Allford, 51, was discovered by a security guard on Friday morning between the airport’s train station and the terminal building.

Spanish media reported that the body showed no visible signs of violence, although there were signs he had been drinking. A postmortem examination is due to be carried out at Málaga’s Institute of Medicine.

Passers-by took pictures as officers from the Spanish police’s murder squad screened off the area surrounding the body and forensic investigators looked for clues.

Clothes found on a nearby airport trolley were taken away for analysis, while officers were also reportedly checking flights to determine whether the man had missed a plane home. Documents found on the trolley identified the victim, according to the Sun.

Homeless people often sleep in the area, Spanish media reported.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman could not confirm the identity of the victim. She said: “We are in contact with local authorities following reports of the death of a British man in Spain.”