Man, 31, dies while in police custody

A 31-year-old man has died while in police custody.

Paramedics were called to Middlesbrough police station on Thursday morning at about 06:00 GMT, where the man was pronounced dead an hour later.

Cleveland Police said the family of the detainee had been informed and it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The IOPC said its initial investigation indicated the man was arrested just before 22:00 on Wednesday and was put on half-hourly checks by custody detention staff.

It also said it declared an independent investigation at 07:07, following the mandatory referral.

"We were informed the man was found unresponsive by staff and an ambulance was called at 05:59 but despite efforts from paramedics, he was sadly pronounced dead at 07:01 on Thursday," it said.

The IOPC said it had sent its investigators to the custody suite to begin reviewing evidence.

"Our investigation is at a very early stage and we will provide an update in due course," it added.

Cleveland Police arranged to use Durham Police's cells during the investigation, but the mutual aid agreement has since been stood down.

A Cleveland Police spokesperson said: "The circumstances surrounding this death are currently being established, and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

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