A LARGE area around Bolton College was sealed off today after the body of a woman was discovered in a car park.

Police are trying to identify the woman after a member of the public found her at 5.40am in the parking spaces behind Bolton Community College's Lower Bridgeman Street centre. Side roads around the college including Gorton Street, Bell Street and the lower end of Grosvenor Street were taped off as scenes of Crime officers and forensic experts examined the scene. They were expected to be there for most of the day while Lower Bridgeman Street was reduced to one lane for traffic.

Detectives said it was too early to establish the cause of the woman's death but they are treating it as suspicious.

Det Supt David Brown, who is leading the investigation, said: "We are appealing for anyone with information to contact Bolton CID."

Anyone with information should call Bolton police on 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.