A MAN whose body was recovered from the River Clyde in Glasgow is thought to have stolen a lifeboat from a riverside construction site before falling into the water.

Engineers starting work to repair a quay wall noticed a lifeboat that had been stationed at the work site was floating out on the water yesterday morning.

Later, a man's body was found in the water a few hundred yards along the Clyde next to the former Renfrew Ferry, now a restaurant and bar which still carries the name, moored permanently at a site on the Broomielaw near the Kingston Bridge.

It is understood the man gained access to the building site on the River Clyde walkway and climbed into the lifeboat before taking it out on the water just after midnight on Thursday.

A senior Glasgow City Council source said: "It was one of our boats, and all we really know is the signs are the person pulled from the Clyde had tried to steal it. We'd just gone on site on Thursday as the work had only begun. It seems the body was found by the people in the Renfrew Ferry. The police have been down at the site all day."

A 150ft section of the walkway collapsed into the river in March and work was scheduled to start yesterday to stabilise and repair the section of quay wall and the walkway.

Engineers were due to build a rock hill in the water the make the wall secure. The work involved placing stones in front of the quay wall to provide a solid base for the repairs.

However, the work was immediately put on hold and will remain so while Police Scotland carries out an investigation into the man's death.

While it is understood that a boat was out on the water at around 12.15am yesterday, police were unable to confirm whether the dead man had been on it.

A ferry slipway just off Broomielaw was sealed off while the recovery operation was under way.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: "Police received a call on Friday morning about a body having been spotted in the River Clyde near to the Renfrew Ferry. The body has been recovered from the water and we can confirm it is the body of a man.

"Police inquiries are ongoing to establish the man's identity and a post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course to establish the cause of death.

"We are currently reviewing CCTV footage and we are appealing for assistance from anyone who might have seen a man approximately 5ft 11in tall and in his 50s, with a heavy build and in the area between the Riverboat Casino and the Renfrew Ferry around midnight on Thursday night into Friday morning.

"If anyone saw this man they are asked to contact the CID."