A MAN was being quizzed today following the murder of a teenager who was found in a pool of blood near a pub.

Eamonn McDonagh, 17, was discovered with serious head injuries behind the Moorings, off Lower Hollin Bank Street, in the Infirmary area of Blackburn at 6.15am yesterday.

Police said a 24-year-old man was arrested last night and was today being questioned at the new police headquarters at Greenbank.

A post mortem examination was carried out last night which confirmed that Eamonn, who was a traveller, had died of serious head injuries.

It is believed police are still looking for a weapon.

Around 200 of Eamonn's family and friends, many of whom are members of the travelling community, attended a wake in the Ewood Arms last night to toast his life.

Police said Eamonn had enjoyed a night out on Tuesday with a friend in Accrington and Blackburn.

Detectives believe he returned to the caravan where he lived on wasteland behind the Moorings in the early hours.

Soon after they went out again to somewhere within walking distance.

It is believed the pair got into an argument with four youths and were separated after fleeing the area.

Later, Eamonn's mum, dad, brother and the friend discovered the body 25 yards from his caravan.

He was taken to nearby Blackburn Royal Infirmary but later died.

Det Supt Ian Jones, who is leading the investigation, said today: "We are still keen to speak to the four youths who were involved in the altercation in the early hours.

"Despite my appeals, nobody has come forward and we really want to speak to these people so that they can be eliminated from our inquiries."

The place where Eamonn's body was discovered continued to be cordoned off today and forensic officers were on the scene.

Police were also carrying out door-to-door inquiries in the area.

Blackburn MP Jack Straw expressed his shock at the latest killing and said he would discuss it with police chiefs when he opened the town's new headquarters tomorrow.

The Foreign Secretary, who holds weekly surgeries in a community centre off Infirmary Street, said: "I am obviously shocked by any killing and I send my condolences to the relatives of this young man.

"However, it's plain from what we understand at the moment that this incident was unrelated to the other death in Blackburn last week. The Moorings pub is in a different part of the Infirmary area.

"I am going to open the new police headquarters in Blackburn tomorrow and will talk to senior officers about this incident and other issues.

"I know that there is a problem with perception of crime but crime in Blackburn and Lancashire is actually going down.

"I do understand that that is little comfort to people who become involved as victims of serious, or indeed trivial, crime."

Anyone with information on the incident should call Blackburn police on 01254 51212, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.