THE discovery of a man's body in a Tyldesley terraced house sparked a major police investigation.

Police and forensic experts sealed off the house in Morris Street on Monday night when the body of 43-years-old Paul McCarthy was discovered by his brother. The victim had suffered fatal stab wounds.

Initially detectives treated the incident as suspicious but it is now thought that Mr McCarthy may have taken his own life.

Police and paramedics raced to the house just before 8pm on Monday night and police officers were posted at the cordoned-off scene, behind the town centre Somerfield supermarket. It is thought Mr McCarthy had been dead since Sunday.

Both the front and the back of the loft-converted terraced house -- in the middle of a row of seven -- as well as a green Rover car parked outside, which is believed to belong to the victim's brother, were sealed-off while forensic experts searched for clues. The rear patio doors of Mr McCarthy's home had been smashed.

Slightly-built Mr McCarthy -- known to his friends as Paul Mac -- had bought the four-bedroom house just two months ago.

Neighbours described Mr McCarthy as cordial and polite and said he had been only too happy to hand over spare coppers to trick or treat youngsters at Halloween.

Previous occupant Susan Green, who works at The Florist shop in Tyldesley town centre, had lived at the house for 11 years with her husband and their three children, said: "I only met him a couple of times and he seemed a pleasant man. He was quite chatty, but neighbours said he kept himself to himself.

"He said he had separated from his wife and wanted a house he didn't have to do much work on. I can't believe what has happened."

Before moving to Tyldesley Mr McCarthy had lived three miles away in Beech Avenue at Boothstown, but after his marriage broke-up he rented a flat above the village convenience store in Leigh Road, Boothstown where he had lived for the last two years. His former landlord Dilib Myangar said he had never been any trouble.

He was a regular in The Greyhound, and a member of their Monday night darts team.

Stab death

From P1

Landlady Beryl Goddard and fellow drinkers were shocked to hear of his death. They described him as "one of the lads, a really nice bloke that got on with everyone".

It is thought Mr McCarthy moved to Tyldesley to be nearer his brother, who had been looking for him in The Greyhound on Monday evening, before finding him dead at the house.

The death has been reported to the coroner.