A BOY, aged 12, has been arrested after a teenage boy drowned at a Bury beauty spot.

The boy died in the River Roche while playing with friends. He was aged 14 and is believed to be from Middleton.

His body was discovered by police underwater search teams at about 11pm on Friday night close to a deep weir at Heap Brow in Heap Bridge.

Station officer Paul Myerscough, who was among firefighters called to the scene, said: "The river was about 25 metres wide and six or seven feet deep at the weir and we were told the boy couldn't swim.

"When we arrived, his friends were searching frantically for him. It was absolutely tragic because everyone was in such terrible shock.

"His friends were extremely distressed and there were about 30 or 40 people looking on. We had to carry equipment for at least half-a-mile because we couldn't get the fire engine any closer."