DETECTIVES today launched a murder style inquiry after a man died from savage head injuries.

Police were called to a rented house in Higher Antley Street, Accrington, shortly after midnight and found the badly injured man lying unconscious inside.

The man is thought to have been battered around the head and died some time later from his injuries.

The police were alerted after they received a 999 call from the house and immediately sealed off the area. Local residents were woken at 2am by police officers conducting a torchlight search of an alley.

A couple in their thirties are believed to live at the house where the injured man was found.

Neighbours said the couple had only lived at the house for about six months. A spokeswoman for Hyndburn Council said there was no one registered at the address.

A next door neighbour, who refused to give her name, said: "I was in bed reading and went to sleep. I heard a noise then there was a big scream and it went quiet. They are a lovely couple and I used to chat to them." The body was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary and a post mortem examination was due to be carried out today.

Detectives investigating the death arrested a man in the early hours of today.

They have refused to identify the dead man until all his relatives have been contacted.

Detective Superintendent Paul Buschini, the man in charge of the investigation, said: "At 12.30am this morning, police were called to Higher Antley Street. They found a man unconscious at the premises who had extremely serious head injuries.

"One man is being interviewed in connection with the incident."

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