OFFICERS were last night working to identify a body found in a pond in Southampton.

Emergency services rushed to Southampton Common on Saturday morning after the body of a man was found in the Ornamental Lake, in the centre of the park.

The area was cordoned off throughout the morning and investigations were carried out at the site.

The force confirmed that the death was being treated as “unexplained but not suspicious”.

A spokesman for Hampshire police has now said that the body is believed to be that of a man in his 20s from the Bedfordshire area.

“But formal ID proceedings are on-going at this time. The next of kin have now been informed,” the spokesman added.

Officers were called to the scene at 8.45am.

Darren Palmer, assistant manager at The Cowherds pub on the Common, said:”I came in at about 9am and there were police cars and a couple of ambulances but no one has come in, nor said anything.”

The parkrun set to take place at the Common on Saturday was cancelled.

On Saturday morning organisers tweeted: “Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of our control, we were unable to hold today’s parkrun.

“This was due to a serious incident on another part of the Common and with the emergency vehicles requiring access, we made the decision to cancel the event.”

An inquest into the death of the young man is expected to be opened in the coming weeks.

The incident comes less than a month after a man’s body was found a short distance away near the southern boundary of the common.

As previously reported, a murder probe was launched last month after the body of 66-year-old Gerald Pragnell was discovered in woodland off Cemetery Road.

Tommy Scott, 34, of no fixed address, appeared in court charged with his murder. His trial is expected to begin at Winchester Crown Court on April 23, 2019.