A BOLTON lorry driver drove for up to 30 miles through the North-west unaware that he had the dead body of a man on his roof.

The driver from Warburtons Bakery was driving between depots in Liverpool and Astley Bridge when he felt a thud on the truck as he drove beneath a footbridge in St Helens early today.

Despite stopping the lorry to see what had happened, the driver could not find anything wrong and continued his journey along the A580 East Lancs Road to the Bolton depot in Hereford Street, off Waters Meeting Road.

When the drive opened the rear of the lorry at about 3.35am he saw a huge dent in the fibre-glass roof and the silhouette of a body.

Police officers called firefighters to the scene to help retrieve the body, which was covered in blood, from the 15-ft high truck.

As the roof had been so badly damaged by the impact of the body, it was too dangerous for the fire crew to climb onto it and they had to use a hydraulic platform to reach the body.

The man, who has not been identified, is believed to have ended up on the top of the truck as the driver was travelling beneath the Lady Pilkington Bridge, near St Helens Rugby Club.

When Merseyside police officers checked the bridge after being alerted by their Bolton colleagues they found blood and discarded clothing at the scene.

Detectives this lunchtime were still probing the tragedy and said it was too early to say whether the man fell or may have been involved in an incident.

The man, who is believed to be aged between 18 and 25, is described as white, of slim build, about 5ft 10ins in height, clean shaven and with brown hair.

He was wearing a grey nylon tracksuit, blue socks and had no shoes on.

The lorry driver has not been identified and Warburtons refused to comment on the incident. Staff at the site today were ordered not to discuss the incident.

Shortly after 7am today a lorry escorted by police was driven out of the Warburtons premises to be examined by forensics experts in Merseyside.

Det Chief Insp Dave Law from Bolton Police said: "We have liaised with officers from Merseyside and an investigation has been launched."