A MURDER inquiry was launched last night as police made two arrests following the discovery of a ‘badly decomposed’ body at a flat.

But detectives have yet to identify the man who was found in Rutland Close, Clayton-le-Moors, on Monday.

Officers arrested a 25-year-old man in Burnley yesterday on suspicion of murder and a 30-year-old man in Blackburn on suspicion of assisting an offender.

The decomposed state of the body has left police unable to detect any obvious injuries.

But Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter, leading the investigation, said his team were treating it ‘no different to a murder’ to ensure every line of inquiry was covered.

At 6pm yesterday the man's body was removed by specialist forensic officers.

A post-mortem examination was then due to take place which police hope will reveal how he died.

And they also hope the tests will help them establish whether the body is that of the single tenant registered at the Hyndburn Homes flat.

Mr Hunter said: “It is critical to the inquiry to try to identify this man, so that we can inform his next of kin.

“Then we can start to speak to people who knew this individual, his associates and people in Clayton-le-Moors to find out who was the last person to see him alive.”

It has emerged that the man's body was discovered at 12.15pm on Monday after concerned neighbours reported a strong smell coming from the premises.

Housing association Hyndburn Homes and a housing officer were sent to make some inquiries.

When he arrived at the front door, the smell raised his suspicions and he called the police and a joiner to force their way in.

Residents said they had noticed a smell days earlier.

Mick Lynch, 71, who lives underneath the cordoned off flat, said a neighbour had contacted the council to complain of what he thought were blocked sewers.

He said: “I’ve never had anything to do with the person that lives above me.

"I don’t know the lad and have only seen him once.”

Next door neighbour Yvonne Haworth said: “We have seen a few people coming and going from the address.

"A young lad moved in about four months ago and there has been a few arguments on the front.

“The police haven’t told us anything. There’s women living on their own here and we are absolutely petrified. None of us have slept.”

Another resident from Gloucester Avenue, who didn’t want to be named, said her back garden looked over those at Rutland Close.

She said: “I couldn’t believe what was happening when I came home from work on Monday night. It’s been like the M6 motorway ever since."

Nigel Fenton, general manager at Hyndburn Homes said: “Everyone at Hyndburn Homes is deeply saddened by yesterday's events at Rutland Close.

“We can confirm that the property in question was let to a 27-year-old man who moved in on June 7 this year."