Brecon Soldier unexplained death
The soldier was found lying in the middle of Lion Street in Brecon, Wales, on 8 May. Matthew Horwood/Getty

A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a soldier close to an Army barracks in the town of Brecon, mid Wales. The male soldier, who was found unconscious and injured in the city centre at 1am on Sunday (8 May), later died in hospital.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement: "We are aware of an incident involving the death of a soldier in Brecon. Dyfed-Powys Police are investigating and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

Read more:

"Police in Brecon are appealing for anyone who was in the vicinity of Lion Street, Bethel Square, Tredegar Street and High Street between 12.30am and 1.30am or has any information that could assist with the inquiry."

The incident has shaken the small town's community of 7,900 residents. Members of the public reported a heavy police presence in the area throughout the morning and forensic tents have apparently also been set up. Forensic scientists continue to investigate the scene where the soldier's body was found.

The BBC reports that the soldier was not wearing army uniform when he was found and that there were no obvious signs of his death being linked to extremism.

Kirsty Williams, the Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Brecon and Radnorshire, described the incident as "shocking". She tweeted: "Clearly very shocking incident unfolding in Brecon town centre this morning. Will be keeping in touch with local police."

The Brecon Beacons is the chosen testing ground for the Special Air Service (SAS), one of the most revered fighting forces in the world. However, in 2013, three soldiers died from heat exhaustion during a routine 16-mile SAS training march during a heatwave.