Police searching for a wanted man have found a body.

John Cowley, 63, had been wanted in connection with an attempted murder in Mawdesley.

Shortly after 11.30am on Thursday October 18, officers found a body in a lake off Moody Lane.

A spokesperson for the police said: "Formal identification of the body is yet to take place, but sadly it is believed to be that of Mr Cowley."

A Home Office post mortem examination will now be carried out to try to establish the cause of Mr Cowley’s death which is currently being treated as unexplained.

His family have been made aware of developments.

On Wednesday October 10 at around 5.45pm, police were called by the Ambulance Service to reports a woman was being treated for stab injuries.

Officers attended an address on Moody Lane and a 50-year-old woman was found with several wounds to her abdomen area.

She was taken to hospital by air ambulance where she was treated for serious injuries.

She has since been discharged.