DETECTIVES in Southampton have launched an investigation after the body of man was found behind a block of maisonettes in the city.

Emergency services were called to the address in Graham Road in St Mary's early yesterday afternoon when the body was discovered lying in a courtyard behind the flats.

Police and ambulance services were immediately called to the scene following the gruesome discovery, which was made by a man visiting one of the residents of the block.

It is believed that the flats are run by a charity which helps homeless people.

Police immediately sealed off Graham Road at its junction with Exmoor Road while scenes of crime officers conducted a fingertip search of the area.

The man's body was discovered at 2.41pm by a man in his 40s, who told the Daily Echo he was visiting a friend when he saw the man's body in the courtyard.

He said: "We just found the body and phoned the hospital.

"They advised us what to do and we rang an ambulance immediately.

"He was lying down. I laid him on his back and he was definitely dead. I didn't know him at all. I had never seen him before in my life."

It is believed that the man is in his early 40s.

Detectives are treating the death as suspicious but say it is too early to say whether they are treating the man's death as murder.

A post-mortem will be held tomorrow to try and discover the cause of the man's death.

Det Con Paul Wright of Bitterne CID said: "There is a male who has died in circumstances that need to be investigated. Those circumstances are not sufficiently clear.

"The post-mortem will be held tomorrow and we will carry on from there."

Anyone with information should call Hampshire police on 0845 045 4545.