AN investigation has been launched after the body of a man was recovered from a river.

North Yorkshire Police cordoned off a stretch of the banks of the River Ouse in York after being alerted by a walker who spotted the body near Holly Terrace at about 1.30pm on New Year’s Day.

Officers were stationed along the path between Alma Terrace and the Millennium Bridge beside the River Ouse to prevent walkers and cyclists accessing the area for about three hours.

A police spokesman said: “With the assistance of the fire and rescue service, the body of a man was recovered from the water. Officers are investigating how the man came to be in the river. We are not yet in a position to identify the deceased.”