A 29-YEAR-OLD has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man's body was found in Burnley yesterday.

The man, of no fixed address, is currently in police custody.

A murder investigation was launched yesterday after a man suffered fatal head injuries in a Burnley street.

The 37-year-old, named locally as Andrew Hayes, was found collapsed in Lyndhurst Road, Brunshaw, and died seven hours later after being taken to Royal Preston Hospital for treatment.

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A shopkeeper described how Mr Hayes had been left bloodied after an unprovoked attack in which he was punched three times outside her shop.

He appeared to recover from the assault but was then found on the ground by a police officer.

Mehwisha Saad, who runs the Money Save convenience store with her husband, Muhammed, said she had passed CCTV footage to police.

Detective Chief Inspector Pete Simm, from Lancashire police’s Force Major Investigation Team, said Mr Hayes’ family had been informed.

He said: “We are treating this as a suspicious death. We are trying to piece his movements together by speaking to his family and carrying out door-to-door enquiries in the area.

“It was a passing police officer on patrol who came across him and it is from there on in that we became involved.”

Mr Hayes, of Cedar Street, Burnley, was found lying on the ground near the shop, at the junction with Mizpah Street, at around 7.40pm on Wednesday.

He died as a result of his injuries at Royal Preston Hospital at around 3am yesterday (THURS).

Mrs Saad, 28, said: “He was a nice man who usually came in to buy alcohol but never gave us any problems. He was very quiet.

“He had just come into the shop and was outside having a drink. Suddenly a man came and punched him three times.

“It happened very quickly and then he ran away. I didn’t hear them arguing. The man had a black cap on and a green jumper and black trousers.

“Andrew was very reserved. He was in his own world and didn’t talk much. He had only come in to buy some beer. Afterwards there was blood coming from his mouth.

“He got up and said he was ok, but when he was walking down the street he fell over again.

“It’s really shocking for it to happen just outside the shop. This area is quite rough anyway, but this is really scary. Nothing like this has ever happened.”

DCI Simm said there were no weapons found at the scene, but confirmed that a murder investigation had been launched.

Marie Baird, a friend of Mr Hayes, said her auntie had taken him into her home at one point a few years ago.

She said: “He was a lovely man. He lived on his own but everybody loved him around here.”

Anyone with information should contact Lancashire Police on 101.