A man's body has been recovered from the River Itchen after a large scale search by the Coastguard and police.

The man, in his 50s, was recovered at around 7.30am on Thursday morning after a search along the river lasting several hours.

Many residents in Southampton were woken this morning to the sound of a Coastguard helicopter traveling between the Northam Bridge and the Itchen Bridge. 

It was initially unclear what the Coastguard was responding to but it later issued a statement saying it was searching for a "person in the water".

Police have now revealed that officers were called to a concern for welfare on the Northam Bridge at around 4am.

At around 7:30am, a man's body was recovered from the River Itchen and police said his death was being treated as 'unexplained'.

A spokesperson for the force said: "We were called shortly before 4am this morning, Thursday, May 23, to a report of the concern for the welfare of a man at the Northam bridge in Southampton.

"Police attended and carried out a thorough search of the surrounding area alongside our Coastguard colleagues.

"The body of a man was located shortly before 7.30am. His death is being treated as unexplained and a file will be prepared for the coroner. His next of kin have been informed."