A MURDER inquiry has been launched after the body of a 17-year-old girl was found in an alley in Bolton.

Carly Bateman was strangled and left in a passageway off Crawford Avenue, the Haulgh, on Saturday night.

Carly, who was from the Bolton area, was discovered in the early hours of Sunday.

A post mortem examination carried out yesterday confirmed she died from compression injuries to her neck.

Shocked residents in nearby Crawford Avenue and Bromwich Street were woken at about 4am by police carrying out door-to-door inquiries to see if they had seen or heard anything suspicious.

Crawford Avenue and the alleyway were cordoned off yesterday while scenes of crime and forensic scientists made a finger-tip search of the area.

The body of the teenager was found close to the red-light district where many prostitutes either tout for business or live in bed-sit accommodation.

Residents have repeatedly complained about women walking the streets and punters kerb-crawling at night.

It is not known why Carly was in the area at the time she was killed.

Detectives are desperate to trace her last movements before her death and are appealing for anyone who saw her on Saturday night or saw anything suspicious to come forward.

Her murder is not being linked to the discovery of a man's badly burnt body on moorland in Bolton on Sunday morning.

Det Supt Vincent Petrykowski, who is leading the investigation said: "This is a tragic waste of a young life.

"Carly was just 17 years old and had her whole life ahead of her.

"It is vital that anyone who can help help catch her killers comes forward and speaks to the police.

"I would also like to reassure people in Bolton that we will catch whoever is responsible."