A BUSY city centre car park was sealed off for hours at the weekend after a man was found lying at the foot of a stairwell, causing chaos for Worcester's shoppers.

Police are continuing their investigations into how 35-year-old Dean Uzzell, of Stanley Road, Worcester, died following the incident soon after the shops opened on Saturday morning.

Mr Uzzell was found around 9.30am at the foot of the tower stairwell, beside the exit of the CrownGate Bus Station. Shoppers faced more than three hours of chaos, as they were unable to enter the car park to retrieve their vehicles, with more than 300 cars in the CrownGate car park at the time.

It was finally reopened at 1.10pm, but the stairwell remained closed until 3.30pm.

Worcester police said Mr Uzzell was found lying unconscious.

He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

"Officers are keeping an open mind about how the man died," said a police spokeswoman.

"A full investigation into all the circumstances surrounding the man's death is currently ongoing."

A post mortem is expected to be carried out later today.

One shopper saw crowds of CrownGate staff at the foot of the stairway beside the delivery entrances.

"We saw a white-faced young lad looking up and pointing to where the man had jumped from," said Audrey Cox, from Stourport-on-Severn. "He didn't look alive."

Frustrated shoppers were told to go home any other way and return for their cars much later by CrownGate officials.

One shopper, Leigh John, was in Worcester with his sister and her family in preparation for his wedding.

The 29-year-old was due to be at Hall Green in Birmingham that afternoon for his stag night, but was unable to get to his car.

"I'm glad the wedding's not today," said Mr John, of Elgar Avenue, Malvern.

"I've asked my mum and best man to spread the word that we're stuck.

"My best man is up from London and I've got friends from Banbury, Gloucester and Torquay coming for the stag party."

His sister, Kirsty Preece, had taken her three sons out for their last fitting for the wedding. "I've promised them ice-cream for being so good," said Mrs Preece. "But I don't want them getting messy."