POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man died following a fight in Altrincham Town Centre.

At around 2.40am today, police were called to reports of a group 10 of men fighting outside a bar on The Causeway in Altrincham.

On attendance, police found a 31-year-old man with serious head injuries. He was taken to hospital where he died.

Greater Manchester Police have now launched a murder investigation and enquiries are ongoing to trace the group of men.

A Home Office post mortem is due to take place today to establish the exact cause of death.

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Rumney said: “This is such a tragic situation, made even more devastating by the fact it is days before Christmas and what should be a happy time turned into violence.

"My thoughts are with the man's family and our specially trained officers are supporting them through this difficult time.

“We are appealing for anyone who saw the fighting or has any information to get in touch with us as soon as possible. Someone out there knows who did this, and I want to be able to give the man’s family the answers they deserve.”

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 6777, 101 quoting reference number 210 of 22/12/16 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.