POLICE have appealed for witnesses after a man died soon after leaving a town-centre pub in North Yorkshire.

The man, believed to be in his mid-40s, was found by passersby at 4am yesterday, lying on the main bridge over the River Wharfe in Tadcaster.

He was seen leaving The White Swan pub in nearby Bridge Street ten minutes earlier. Police have partial CCTV footage of his movements after that, but do not know why he suddenly fell.

A post-mortem examination waas carried out yesterday, and police say they are not now treating the death as suspicious.

Chief Superintendent Andy McMillan, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “A man was found with serious head injuries. He subsequently died.”

A police spokeswoman said the man was seen on CCTV heading towards the bridge, then went out of shot, then came back into shot and fell, with some force, into the road.

One local resident, who declined to be named, said: “I woke up at 4.30am, and I could see flashing lights.

“There was an ambulance on the bridge and two police cars.”

She said there were about 12 people on the bridge speaking to police.

The White Swan proclaims itself to be Tadcaster’s “number one entertainment venue”. It is licensed until 4am on Sunday morning.

Former Tadcaster councillor Roderic Parker said: “We do have concerns locally about late-night drinking. The assumption is that this guy had been out drinking.”

The police spokeswoman said: “A post-mortem has been carried out and police now believe that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

“However, investigations will continue into his death on behalf of the coroner.”

Amelie Coutts, deputy manager of William Hill bookmaker in Bridge Street, said: “We knew it must be bad for the road to stay closed. All I know is I have no customers, because the bridge is shut.”

The road was closed from 4am until early evening yesterday. The town’s St George’s Day parade was cancelled as a result.

Police want to hear from anyone who was in Tadcaster who may have seen the man in the area of Bridge Street, as well as any motorists who were in the area between 3.45am and 4.15am.

They are especially keen to hear from the driver of a car believed to have driven past the man, as he lay in the road.

Anyone with any information should phone York CID on 0845 6060247.