Body found in Wellington drain

Photo / Thinkstock

A body has been found lodged in a stormwater drain in central Wellington.

A member of the public called police at midday today after discovering the body in a drain adjacent to Te Papa, the national museum, close to the central Wellington waterfront.

"We've cordoned the area and are in the initial stages of a scene examination. We're looking to recover the body, which appears to be lodged inside a stormwater culvert,'' said Detective Inspector Paul Basham.

He said the death was being treated as suspicious, although it was too early to speculate on the identity of the person or circumstances surrounding the death.

The cordon had closed off Barnett St, a no-exit road leading into a carpark adjacent to the national museum, said Sergeant Peter Theobald.

``Barnett Street is closed, and I believe the cordons are all set up into where the market usually sets up in the carpark. So part of that area is cordoned off as well.''

He said a walkway around the back of Te Papa, and Cable St itself, were still operating as usual.

The Harbourside market runs on a Sunday morning from the carpark, but the markets were closed today after a section of the stalls were included in the cordon area.

The cordon would remain in place as long as necessary, he said.

"At the end of the day, it's early days into making any investigations.''

He said he had no knowledge of injuries to the body.

A Te Papa employee said the museum had no knowledge of the circumstances of the body, and the discovery was made outside of Te Papa property boundaries.