Second arrest after man found dead on bench near Northampton canal

A second man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found fatally injured on a bench on a towpath.

Robert Brown was found near the River Nene in Northampton town centre on August 1, at 6.30am. His exact cause of death is yet to be established.

A 41-year-old man from Northampton was arrested on suspicion of murder last night and remains in custody.

Another 38-year-old man has already been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently on bail, pending further investigation.

Specially trained officers are supporting Robert’s family.

They paid tribute to him in a statement issued by police, affectionately describing him as having ‘the gift of the gab’ and a heart of gold’.

The family said he shared a close bond with his brother Nik and Andrew, and loved his bikes.

They said he was ‘quite a character and always full of fun’ and he was ‘always ready to help others’.

They added: ‘We are truly devastated that Rob has been taken from us, but reading all the tributes on social media has provided some source of comfort.

‘It is lovely to know just how many people knew Rob and enjoyed his company.

‘We will always miss his chirpy banter, but we know there are many happy memories to share and talk about.’

Detective Inspector Torie Harrison said: ‘We are now more than a week on since Robert’s death and we continue to follow various lines of enquiry to establish what happened.

‘We still want to speak to anyone who may have been in the area of the towpath behind Auctioneers Court overnight from Thursday, July 31 to Friday, August 1, to contact us even if you don’t believe you have any relevant information.

‘Anyone who can help us piece together the events which led to his death is encouraged to come forward.’

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