Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found in a park in Gateshead.

Officers attended a grassy area off Shipcote Lane at 6.10am yesterday (Sunday) after receiving a report of concern for the welfare of a man.

The man, aged 54, was confirmed as deceased after sustaining injuries consistent with having been assaulted.

A full investigation is ongoing into the man’s death, which police are treating as suspected murder.

Two suspects – aged 39 and 33 – have since been arrested on suspicion of murder. They remain in police custody at this time.

An increased police presence remains in the area as officers carry out enquiries.

Detective Inspector Chris Deavin, of Northumbria Police’s Major Investigation Team (MIT), said: “This is clearly a very serious incident and we are determined to find out the full circumstances surrounding the man’s death.

“A significant number of enquiries are ongoing, and we will be interviewing two suspects in connection with the man’s death over the coming hours.

“I would like to thank those who have already come forward with information to assist our investigation, and would ask anyone else who believes they know something – no matter how insignificant you feel it may be – to get in touch.

Recommended reading: 

Get the latest news, sports, and entertainment delivered straight to your device by subscribing to The Northern Echo here. 

“Our thoughts remain with the man’s family at this terrible time, and we will use every tactic available to us to ensure effective justice is brought against anybody found to be involved.”

Anyone with information that can assist the investigation is asked to contact police by sending a direct message, using the live chat function on our website or by visiting https://www.northumbria.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/ quoting reference NP-20240825-0241.