Second arrest after man found dead on bench near Northampton canal

A second person has been arrested after a man was found dead on a bench near the canal in Northampton.

Robert Brown, 57, was found with a fatal arm injury near the River Nene in Northampton town centre at 6.30am on 1 August, Northamptonshire Police said.

A 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of his murder on Friday and is still in custody, the force said on Saturday.

Another 38-year-old man had already been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently on bail.

The exact cause of Mr Brown's death is yet to be established, with a post-mortem examination to take place in the coming days.

Read more from Sky News
Wembley investigating Oasis fraud claims
Nicola Sturgeon's memoir reveals arrest was 'mental torture'
British girl returns to UK from IS camp in Syria

Paying tribute to him in a statement issued by police on Thursday, Mr Brown's family said he had a "heart of gold" and "was always ready to help others".

"We are truly devastated that Rob has been taken from us, but reading all the tributes on social media has provided some source of comfort," it read.

"It is lovely to know just how many people knew Rob and enjoyed his company.

"We will always miss his chirpy banter, but we know there are many happy memories to share and talk about."

Northamptonshire Police's Detective Inspector Torie Harrison added: "We are now more than a week on since Robert's death and we continue to follow various lines of enquiry to establish what happened.

"We still want to speak to anyone who may have been in the area of the towpath behind Auctioneers Court overnight from Thursday 31 July to Friday 1 August, to contact us even if you don't believe you have any relevant information.

"Specially trained officers continue to support Robert's family at this devastating time and anyone who can help us piece together the events which led to his death is encouraged to come forward."

(c) Sky News 2025: Second arrest after man found dead on bench near Northampton canal