A man has died in "tragic" circumstances on the M23 near Redhill, prompting a public appeal and investigation into what happened.

He died on the motorway in the early hours of Sunday morning (January 17), after emergency services responded to calls reporting a "concern for safety" near Redhill on the A25 between Nutfield and Bletchingley, around 6.30am.

"On arrival, officers discovered a male on the M23. The man in his early 30s was sadly pronounced deceased shortly afterwards. His next of kin have been informed," a spokesperson for Surrey Police, who responded to the incident Sunday, said.

They added that they were not treating the man's death as suspicious at present:

"An investigation has been launched following this incident, at this stage we do not believe that there is any third party involvement or suspicious circumstances involved in his death."

The man's death has meanwhile been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) "due to previous contact between the man and Surrey Police".

Chief Inspector Fash Mohammadi added a short statement, describing the man's death as "tragic":

"This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the male’s family and friends at this difficult time.

"We’d like to extend our appreciation to the public for their patience as we dealt with the incident.

"We are asking anyone who may have information which could assist the investigation to get in touch with us," he said.

To get in touch with Surrey Police about this, go to their website or call 101 and quote P21010971.