DETECTIVES were today searching for a head following the gruesome killing of a Burnley teenager.

The naked body of Christopher Hartley, 17, was found in a bin at the back of a hotel in Blackpool early yesterday.

It had been cut into two and his head was missing.

The teenager, whose parents and two brothers and a sister live on the Griffin Estate on the west side of Burnley, had been in the seaside resort for about six months.

He had arrived in Blackpool for seasonal work and had found a job at the world famous Pleasure Beach.

But detectives understand he had recently been made redundant.

Acting Detective Superintendent Paul Buschini, who is heading the murder-style inquiry, said the gruesome find at New Central Hotel, Reads Avenue, Blackpool was a mystery.

He said not a lot was known about Christopher and he appealed for more family and friends to contact police.

His parents had been informed about the death yesterday and were said to be "devastated."

It is understood a sister has still to be informed about the death.

Christopher's body was found in a four-foot high blue plastic bin at the back of the hotel by its manager Peter Falkingham.

The lower part of the torso was found in a black Puma sports bag.

No other part of the body is believed to have been dismembered. Mr Buschini said a post-mortem examination by a Home Office pathologist had proved inconclusive.

He said: "At this stage we cannot rule out death by poisoning or something like strangulation but that is not conclusive yet.

"We have no positive cause of death or any motive as to why someone would want to dispose of a body in such a gruesome way.

"The person who did this showed very little regard towards the body of another."

It has not yet been established where in the resort Christopher had been living.

He had phoned his parents on Christmas Day and had last spoken to relatives in Blackpool on Monday.

Detectives say a sharp instrument such as a kitchen knife or machete may have been used to cut up the body.

Further tests were being carried out today on body tissue to try to establish how Christopher died before he was dismembered.

Police are also waiting for the results of drugs and alcohol tests.

Mr Buschini said there had been no signs of any injury to the body before the death. Police were also trying to track down a young woman believed to be the teenager's girlfriend.

Christopher was last seen near the hotel on his own between 2am and 3am yesterday.

He was said to appear fit and well.

The body was found by the hotel manager at 1pm.

Police say Christopher had no connection with the hotel. They have also ruled out any sexual motive.

An incident room has been set up at Blackpool Central police station. Anyone with information has been asked to call 01253 293933 or the Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555111.

Mr Buschini said a major search was continuing for the missing head today and detectives were also making house to house inquiries near the scene, which is an area populated with hotels and bedsits and is known to have a high number of teenagers living alone.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.