Mystery surrounds the death of a boy believed to be about 12 years old whose body was found in bushes near the Villa Road Primary and Junior High school in Manchester yesterday.

The body was reportedly found about 9:30 a.m. by a man who is said to have gone to the school to register his child.

He reportedly stumbled upon the body along a path which persons use as a short-cut.

Reports are that the boy's body was face-down with marks around his neck.

He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, green underpants and a grey sweater with black sleeves.

When contacted last night, head of the Manchester police Superintendent Lascelles Taylor said the body had not yet been identified.

The division's top cop also sought to address rumours that the boy was buggered. According to him there were no signs to prove such a case and said the police will have to await the result of a post mortem to determine the cause of death.

"We cannot say if he was stabbed or shot as their is nothing to prove anything...Since we found the body persons have been talking all kinds of things but we are waiting on the results of a post mortem before we can say anything," Superintendent Taylor explained.

Investigators who were on the crime scene earlier however said they have good reason to suspect that there was a struggle and the boy was strangled to death.

Mystery surrounds the death of a boy believed to be about 12 years old whose body was found in bushes near the Villa Road Primary and Junior High School in Manchester yesterday.

The body was reportedly found about 9:30 a.m. by a man who is said to have gone to the school to register his child.

He reportedly stumbled upon the body along a path which persons use as a short-cut.

Reports are that the boy's body was face-down with marks around his neck.

He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, green underpants and a grey sweater with black sleeves.

no identification

When contacted last night, head of the Manchester police, Superintendent Lascelles Taylor, said the body had not yet been identified.

The division's top cop also sought to address rumours that the boy was buggered. According to him, there were no signs to prove such a case and he said the police will have to await the result of a post-mortem to determine the cause of death.

"We cannot say if he was stabbed or shot as there is nothing to prove anything ... Since we found the body, persons have been talking all kinds of things but we are waiting on the results of a post-mortem before we can say anything," Superintendent Taylor explained.

Investigators who were on the crime scene earlier, however, said they have good reason to suspect that there was a struggle and the boy was strangled to death.