THE death of a man found in York was last night being treated as “unexplained”, after his body was pulled from the River Foss.

Police were called to Foss Bank at 11.30am yesterday, after someone walking next to the river near Layerthorpe spotted a body.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said the body was recovered from the river at just after 12.40pm, and the man’s next of kin were still being traced.

He said: “The circumstances of the death are unexplained at this time as the investigation continues on behalf of the coroner.”

Crews from North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue service were also called, and the Fire Service rescue boat was launched to help recover the body.

Foss Bank was closed to traffic and pedestrians for almost two hours, and local businesses Avis and Turnbull’s Mazda allowed police, paramedics and firefighters to use land to the rear of their property while the body was located and removed.

The body was the second to be recovered from the Foss this year, and the fifth to be recovered from York’s rivers.

Ben Clarkson, 22, went missing in March following a night out with friends. His body was found in the Foss three weeks later.

Student Megan Roberts, 20, disappeared on a night out with friends in January and was found in the Ouse almost six weeks later, while 18-year-old soldier Tyler Pearson was missing for two weeks in April before his body was found, and the body of doctor Mandeep Ahluwalia was found in the Ouse in May, several days after he disappeared.

Following the deaths, The Press launched its Take Care campaign to warn readers against the dangers of York’s rivers.

Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan led a river safety summit and campaign which has seen thousands of pounds agreed for improvements to sections of York’s riverbanks.

A report by the Royal Society For The Prevention of Accidents said York had a disproportionately high rate of river deaths and said there were many tripping hazards on the riverbanks, and not enough ways for people who fell in to get back out of the water.

• Anyone with information that could help officers investigating yesterday’s discovery are asked to phone police on 101.