POLICE have said the moment an 11-month-old baby was "thrown" into a river may have been captured on video.

The baby boy died yesterday evening after being pulled from the River Irwell in Radcliffe just after 4.30pm.

Officers investigating the incident believe there were a "significant number of witnesses" who may have captured photographs or videos.

They are now appealing for witnesses to come forward with any information "as a matter of urgency".

Those who have captured any images relating to the incident are being encouraged to send them to a Greater Manchester Police Dropbox using scd.cctv@gmp.police.

Detective Inspector Wes Knights, who is leading the investigation on behalf of GMP's Major Incident Team, said: “This is an incredibly tragic incident which has taken the life of a baby boy, who we believe is only around 11-months-old.

"His family have understandably been left devastated by what has happened and we have specially trained officers providing them with support at this difficult time.

“We currently have a suspect in custody, who will be questioned by detectives later today, however our investigation does not stop there and we need anybody with information to come forward and help us get answers for this little boy’s loved ones.

“We know that there were a significant number of witnesses to what happened and I want to urge those people to come forward and provide us with as much detail as they can.

"It’s also possible that other people may have information about the circumstances leading up to the incident, as we know the baby had been in the area for a number of hours beforehand.

“Given the time this happened and the large number of witnesses present, we know that some of the incident was captured in images or on video so I want ask people to provide these to the investigation team, via Dropbox.

“We appreciate that the incident has caused a lot of concern locally, which is understandable, but I would ask that people please refrain from speculating on social media about the circumstances and who may or may not have been involved, as this is still a live criminal investigation.

“I would also like to say thank you to all those people who tried their best to help retrieve the baby from the river and to all those who have since provided support to the investigation by providing information.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 8797 or 101 quoting incident number 1930 of 11/09/2019, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Anybody with images or video of the incident can send them to police via Dropbox using scd.cctv@gmp.police.