A 63-year-old known heroin user has been found dead in his flat.

It is suspected that Douglas Lowe, who lived in a first-floor flat in Manchester Road, Nelson, may have had cancer but police inquiries are continuing.

Mr Lowe was found at 2.30pm on Saturday by a friend.

Det Insp Simon Leach said: "It is an unexplained death and we are waiting for the results of a post mortem examination which will probably be carried out tomorrow.

"His death is not suspicious."

Police carried out house-to-house inquiries and found that Mr Lowe was known to have quite a few younger friends who visited his flat on a regular basis and police would like to hear from anyone who was in the flat, in particular a young woman who was there on Saturday morning.

DI Leach said: "We are not linking his death to heroin because he is understood to have been in a poor state of health and it is suspected he may have had cancer.

"We are still making inquiries however because he was a heroin addict and we know that he had taken heroin in the last 24 hours and we would like to hear from anyone who knows where he got it from or anyone who saw anyone going in or out of the flat."

Anyone with information can contact 01282 425001.