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Body of woman found on footpath close to Rochdale primary school

Police following ‘several lines of enquiry’ to establish what happened

Maanya Sachdeva
Monday 17 July 2023 16:12 BST
The body of a woman in her 40s was found off Ashfield Road
The body of a woman in her 40s was found off Ashfield Road (PA )

A woman in her 40s has been found dead on a footpath near a primary school in Rochdale.

Police were called to Ashfield Road, near Ashfield Valley Primary School and Sandbrook retail park, at around 4.30am on Monday amid concerns for a person’s welfare.

The body of a woman was found at the scene. Greater Manchester Police has launched an investigation and is working to find the woman’s next of kin.

People have been urged to avoid the area, which was cordoned off on Monday as forensic officers worked at the scene.

The primary school announced it would remain closed on Monday in light of the incident.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “Work is ongoing to inform the individual’s next of kin, whilst detectives are following several lines of enquiry.”

In a Facebook post, Rochdale chief superintendent Nicky Porter appealed to anyone with information to get in touch with the force.

She said: “If you know anything about this incident, or if you have any dashcam footage or CCTV, please contact GMP, so you can support us with this investigation.”

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