THE body of a man was recovered by police from a river yesterday.

A member of the public spotted the body in the water, near the former Kepier Hospital, around 200 yards down river from the Sands area of Durham city.

Emergency services were called out and a fire brigade team, from Durham, helped with the police rescue operation.

Police said the man was in his late 60s, or early 70s, and the body was not thought to have been in the water for more than 24 hours before the alarm was raised yesterday morning.

Inspector Ian Butler, of Durham City police, said a search of the river banks was carried out.

He said the body was taken to Durham's Dryburn Hospital, where a post-mortem examination will be carried out today.

However, the death was not being treated as suspicious.

Police will not reveal the man's identity until all relatives have been informed