A MAN found dead next to a reservoir beside the M62, is expected to be named today.

The body of the white man, aged between 30 and 50, was discovered on Friday lunchtime next to Booth Wood Reservoir between the motorway and the A672 Oldham Road, at Rishworth.

Police believe the find is connected to a car which was abandoned on the M62 after a crash two days earlier.

They had been called to an accident on the M62 that day but launched a missing person’s enquiry after a car was found unoccupied.

A postmortem is believed to have taken place and the man’s family have been informed.

Yesterday police said they were speaking to the man’s family before naming him publicly.

Police closed the nearside lane of the eastbound carriageway between Junction 22 at Windy Hill and Junction 23 at Outlane to allow searches to be made close to the hard shoulder.

The closure on Friday meant traffic jams of up to five miles stretched back towards Rochdale and Milnrow.