Police have launched a murder investigation after a man was fatally injured on Shields Road in Byker.
Police were called to Catherine House on Shields Road at 1.40am on New Year’s Day, where a man was fatally injured.
The man, who has not been named, was found with serious head injuries and was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, but died in hospital.
Northumbria Police say they are treating the death as suspicious and officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Forensics officers have arrived at the scene and officers guarding the door are not allowing anyone to go inside.
Det Supt Mick Paterson said:“We are making extensive enquiries to establish just how this man lost his life.
“We would appeal for anyone who saw or heard anything out of the ordinary in the early hours of this morning to come forward.
“We would also like to reassure the public that we believe this to be an isolated incident.
“People living in the area can expect to see an increased police presence while we carry out our investigations and if anyone is concerned I would urge them to speak to an officer.”
Follow our latest updates from the scene below:
Key Events
Paramedics took man to hospital
The man who died from head injuries was taken to hospital by paramedics.
A North East Ambulance Service spokeswoman said:
“We were called at 1.45am to a domestic address in Byker.
“Police were already in attendance.
“We sent two resources and we took a male patient to the Royal Victoria Infirmary
Latest pictures from the scene
There is still a significant police presence at the scene of the suspected murder:
Forensics officers photographing the scene
Photographs of photographing detectives at the scene:
Police launch murder investigation
A murder investigation has been launched after a man died from serious head injuries at a block of flats in Byker.
Police were called to Catherine House on Shields Road at 1.40am on New Year’s Day, where a man was fatally injured.
The man, who has not been named, was found with serious head injuries and was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, but died in hospital.
Northumbria Police say they are treating the death as suspicious and officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Det Supt Mick Paterson said:
“We are making extensive enquiries to establish just how this man lost his life.
“We would appeal for anyone who saw or heard anything out of the ordinary in the early hours of this morning to come forward.
“We would also like to reassure the public that we believe this to be an isolated incident.
“People living in the area can expect to see an increased police presence while we carry out our investigations and if anyone is concerned I would urge them to speak to an officer.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident number 191 of 010118.
Alternatively, witnesses can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
Plan-clothed officers photographing scene
At around 10.45am, what appeared to be plain clothed detectives could be seen walking around near the scene and taking pictures of nearby buildings.
Police officer studying door's lock
A forensics officer is now examining the door’s lock, while another takes photographs:
Several police leaving the scene
A number of the uniformed officers who were inside the building have now left, climbed into a police van, and driven away.
However, one marked police car, one police van, and the two forensics vans remain outside and there are still uniformed officers at the doors to that building.
Visitors prevented from entering building
A girl, who asked not to be named, called at the building to wish her uncle who lives there a happy New Year, but was prevented from going in by police.
She said:
“There’s about 10 police standing inside but they wouldn’t tell me what was going on.
“It’s a funny building. It needs to be pulled down. There’s rats all over the place, it’s disgusting. It’s so creepy. There’s no gas and no hot water.
“I just want to get in touch with my uncle and see if he’s had a good New Year.”
Forensics officers investigating
Forensic officers in white overall with masks covering their faces can now be seen through the upstairs windows.
One came out to take a picture of the exterior of the building.
Joanne Murray, from Wallsend, stopped to watch the drama while out on a New Year’s Day drive.
She told the Chronicle she believed the building was a hostel:
“We have just been down the coast for a walk, then we just thought we would go for a drive as you do on New Year’s Day then we saw this.
“We had drove down and we had seen all the police, we were going to drive into Newcastle but then we saw the forensics van and we turned around and came back.
“It looks like some has had a bad start to the New Year.
“I think years ago it was a hostel, but I thought it had been closed down.”
More police arrive
More police have been arriving at the scene:
Latest from the scene
Police have only confirmed that “an incident is ongoing”, but here’s the latest from the scene:
Uniformed police officers entered the building, a large property next to the Newcastle Centre, at around 9.40am and an officer is now standing guard at the door.
One woman who works at a nearby petrol station said detectives were currently in the garage, and she had been told a body had been found.
At around 9.45am scenes of crime officers arrived in two white vans.
Police guarding door on Shields Road
We’ve got the first images from the scene in Byker, where police are on scene.
Northumbria Police are still unable, or unwilling, to provide any information about what’s happening.
Serious incident in Byker
Police are at the scene of a significant incident in Byker.
We will have more details as they emerge.