A MAN has died after a fight on a barge on the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Police were called to the canal behind Dutton Hall Farm, on the A553 Northwich Road, at around 8.50am on Thursday and found a man with serious head injuries.

Despite attempts to resuscitate him, he died shortly after and a 37-year-old man from Birkenhead was arrested on suspicion of murder.

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: “At just after 8.50am on Thursday, Cheshire Police attended a report of an incident that had taken place onboard a barge on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Dutton, between Northwich and Runcorn.

“Two men on the barge had been involved in an altercation that resulted in one of the men collapsing. Paramedics were called and the man died a short time later.”

Forensic officers cordoned of the area and continued to search throughout the day, and the 37-year-old was released on police bail on Friday, pending further inquiries. He must return to the police station on May 13.

Steven Roberts, who works for a nearby landowner, described the scene to the Guardian: “The boat was lying skew-whiff in the canal and I saw a body bag being carried away. Then a prison van turned up. The officers were there for hours and everything was cordoned off.

“No one is really sure what went on.”

At the time of going to press the dead man had still not been named.