The body of a young man was pulled out of the water at Chellow Dene Reservoir, Bradford, last night, following a police search.

West Yorkshire Police underwater search team divers recovered his body following an intense search. Police have not releasd his name.

At 7.45pm, emergency crews were scrambled to reports of a man and a woman in difficulties in Chellow Dene reservoir, off Chellow Lane.

Police said the woman, in her 20s, was pulled out of the water but the man, also in his 20s, had disappeared in the water and had not reappeared.

An onlooker revealed how he witnessed frantic scenes and heard screaming as four passers-by jumped into the reservoir in a desperate bid to find the missing man.

Kashif Raza, aged 30, of Jesmond Avenue, off Toller Lane, was on a walk with friends when he heard the commotion. He said: “We were taking a stroll and the next minute we heard all the screaming. It was really loud.

“Four Asian guys were in the water and, when we got round there, they said he had been in there for 20 minutes. All sorts of screaming was going on. The young lass managed to get out. We know the girl - she’s from Heaton. They said the guy is about 20 years old. I think there was some sort of current, so they were getting sucked down. If he’s been in there 20 minutes, how long can you stay in the water and survive?”

Last night a police spokesman said: “The man had disappeared out of sight. It looks like he has gone under has not come back up. He’s been under for a considerable amount of time.”

Officers cordoned off a large area, including the top of Chellow Lane and a section of field near the reservoir to protect the scene from view.

Police have not divulged the reason he was in the water.

Nearby resident Sidra Iqbal, 18, said: “I saw them put the woman in the ambulance wrapped in a towel. She was an Asian woman.

“My friend said she knew the girl, so they must be local people. It’s been about an hour now and apparently no sign of him, so it’s looking pretty bad.”

Another resident of Chellow Lane, who did not wish to be named, said: “I was watching the World Cup on television and about half an hour into the South Africa match, all these emergency vehicles started coming up the road. I’ve been told it was a young man. It’s been over an hour so it’s not looking good.”