POLICE are investigating the suspicious death of a man after his body was discovered at a house in a County Durham village late last night.

Officers were alerted after paramedics were called to the property in West Chilton Terrace, Chilton, at about midnight and found the body lying in a room on the ground floor.

All attempts to revive him failed.

Four people - three men and a woman aged between 24 and 31 - and three children, two boys and a girl, aged between four and ten were in the house at the time.

The children are being cared for by relatives.

The adults have been arrested are being held at police stations in Durham, Darlington, Spennymoor and Bishop Auckland where they are helping with inquiries.

It is believed a further man may have been in the property at the time and attempts are being made to trace him.

Detective Superintendant Neil Malkin said the dead man, who is thought to be in his 20s, is not from the North-East and has yet to be identified.

A post-mortem examination is being held later this morning in a bid to establish how he died.

Mr Malkin said: "The death is being treated as suspicious.

"We understand there was some kind of altercation in the house and it is imperative that we speak to anyone who knows what may have gone on or who may have heard a disturbance at around midnight."

It is known there was some kind of party taking place in nearby Dene Terrace and one line of inquiry is there could be some link to that gathering and the death in West Chilton terrace.

House-to-house inquiries are ongoing in the immediate area and more than 30 officers are currently involved in the investigation.

Anyone who can help is asked to call Durham police on 0345-60-60-365 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.