Emergency services mounted a major rescue operation to save the local man, who is believed to have been part of a team of contractors working on the trench in Heaton when it caved in at about 11am yesterday.

Members of the man’s family raced to the scene while police, fire brigade and ambulance services worked through the afternoon to try to save him.

Police said enquiries into the incident were ongoing. It was expected that there would be a criminal or Health and Safety Executive investigation into the incident.

A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that the body of a 23-year-old local man has been recovered from the trench.

“It is believed the man had been working in the trench at the time of the incident.

“Inquiries are currently ongoing to establish how the events came about.”