DETECTIVES investigating a house fire have released previously unseen footage of a distinctive man they urgently want to trace.

The elderly occupant was in a local hospice at the time of the blaze has since died.

The fire was started at her home in Ormesby Bank, Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday, February 21.

Pictures from CCTV cameras show a young white male who appears to be aged between 16 and 20 years and approximately 5ft 7” to 5ft 11” tall.

He is of slim to medium build with a distinctive Mohican style haircut and some kind of mark or tattoo on his head above his left ear.

The man is wearing jeans and a dark coloured jacket, possibly a Helly Hansen or a Henri Lloyd and which is thought to have writing at the back of the neck on the collar. A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: “The woman’s family now have to deal with their loss knowing that her lifetimes worth of possessions have also been lost due to this fire.” DC Paul Stephenson from Redcar and Cleveland Police’s Serious Crime Team said: “I’d urge the man seen in the footage to get in touch with police as a matter of urgency. “Equally I’d urge everyone to take the time to visit the Cleveland Police website to see if they recognise this man.

“He has a fairly distinctive appearance and I believe somebody must know who he is.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crimestoppers on 0800-555111 or DC Paul Stephenson at Redcar CID on 01642-302626 The footage can be seen on the Cleveland Police website at www.cleveland.police.uk