Murder hunt

Police have so far been unable to identify the man, who is Afro-Caribbean.

The body was discovered by a passer-by at 7.30am in Jinnah Court, off Lumb Lane. The yard is used by residents as a car park and is next to Leesel & Co, a vending machine operators.

The area was cordoned off by murder squad detectives and forensic experts. A post-mortem examination was being carried out this afternoon.

One woman, who lives opposite Jinnah Court, said: "I didn't hear any sirens, the first I knew about it was when I came out of the house this morning and saw all the police cars. None of us can believe it."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "The body of an Afro-Caribbean man was found in a courtyard off Lumb Lane, Bradford, at 7.30am.

"Toller Lane police are treating the death as suspicious. The area was sealed off and the man has not been identified.

"A post-mortem examination will be taking place today."

Uniformed officers and plain-clothed detectives were at the the scene today. It was not yet clear how the man had been killed.

Just after midday, detectives sealed off two phone boxes round the back of the courtyard which were examined by the forensic experts.

A local businessman, who did not want to be named, said he was not surprised by the murder. He said: "It's just another crime. The trouble had been getting gradually worse over the last couple of weeks with gangs of youths terrorising the older residents who live on Gracechurch Street, opposite the courtyard where the body was found."

One local resident, who did not wish to be named, said he spoke to the man who found the body.

He said the man, who was on his way to work, had found the body in the middle of the car park. He said his clothes soaked in blood.

Meanwhile a police helicopter circled the murder scene as uniformed officers interviewed local residents.

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