Appeal to identify 'critically injured' Manchester man

Police have appealed for help in identifying a "critically injured" man found with head wounds in a drainage ditch in Manchester.

The man, described as being white, aged between 16 to 20, with short fair hair and a scar on his left ankle, was found in Platt Fields Park on Tuesday.

He was taken to hospital, where he had surgery to life-threatening injuries and is in a critical condition.

Det Insp Terry Compton said the man had not been carrying ID when he was found.

He was rescued from the ditch embankment by emergency services after receiving reports that he was in water in a drainage route.

Mr Compton said police were "not ruling out that his injuries may have been sustained during an assault".

"We are appealing to the public to help us identify this man, who is lying critically injured in a hospital bed," he said.

"He was not carrying any ID but we are hoping that someone may recognise him from the description.

"We have a team of detectives who are working not only to identify this victim, but also to investigate the circumstances surrounding how he was found at the bottom of the embankment."