A MAN has been found dead on a park bench in Southampton city centre

Hampshire Constabulary described the incident as a "tragedy" after they raced to Blechynden Terrace, near Southampton Central Railway Station, where the body of the man was discovered at around 10.30am on Monday morning.

Police confirmed that the death was not being treated as suspicious but were appealing for information from the public.

Detective Sergeant Nicola Smith, said: “This is a tragic situation where a man has lost his life.

"It is our duty to piece together as much information as we can about this person and what happened prior to his death, for us to then pass onto the coroner.

“As this happened in a public place we’d like to speak to anyone who may have seen him this morning in the area or on the park bench where he was found in Blechynden Terrace.

"We know he was with a group of males who left the area before he died.

"One of them had a bright yellow BMX and another was pushing a trolley.

"If this was you, please get in touch so we can ascertain a bit more information about what happened this morning."

Police cordoned off the area this morning, with officers on the scene until mid-afternoon.

Anyone with information should contact Hampshire Constabulary on 101 quoting incident 274.