Mystery surrounds the death of a man found floating in the canal next to the Emergency Housing Complex in Parsons Road, Pembroke in the early hours of Wednesday.

An autopsy has not yet been carried out on Edward Smith, 53, but last night Mr. Smith's brother claimed: "Somebody had beat him upside his head. I know he didn't jump in there on his own."

However Police were unable to comment until medical reports were in.

The body was discovered at 12.50 a.m by two residents of the complex where Mr. Smith had lived for six or seven years.

A doctor pronounced death at 1.30 a.m. and the body was kept under Police guard until daylight when investigators arrived to conduct a full inquiry. Mr. Smith said he feared the worst after he went down on Sunday to deliver dinner and his brother, who was well known as a hard-working carwasher, was not there.

Speaking at the scene yesterday morning he said: "He never troubled anybody, he was a very peaceful, loving person.

"There were so many people down here with their cars today wanting to know if it was him.

"Other people had seen him Saturday night." However other sources said the dead man had only been missing a few hours before the grisly discovery.

Mr. Smith said his brother, who is survived by two children, had not been depressed.

"He was a happy go-lucky man."

One of the residents at the shelter said Mr. Smith was a hardworking man with a string of regular clients and he would sometimes be seen washing cars outside the complex until late at night.

He said: "He would give you the heart out of his body."