Body found in laneway behind Sydney shops

A man's body has been found in a laneway behind a strip of popular shops in Sydney's inner west.

Patrolling police officers were flagged down about 11am on Tuesday by a passer-by who discovered a man "who may have needed medical attention" in Soudan Lane, near bustling King Street in Newtown, police say.

A crime scene has been established and police said there were no obvious suspicious circumstances at this stage.