West Rainton body: Five arrested on suspicion of murder
Five men have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of a man following a "vicious and violent assault" in County Durham.
The body of John Hall, 46, from Shiney Row, was found by a dog walker at about 19:00 BST on Sunday at Mark's Lane, near a railway bridge in West Rainton.
A post-mortem examination concluded Mr Hall died from multiple injuries.
Five men aged 32 to 48 from the Shiney Row area, have been arrested and are helping police with their inquiries.
Det Supt Kevin Weir, said: "Leading up to his death Mr Hall had been subjected to a vicious and violent assault.
"We are working hard to piece together Mr Hall's movements in the hours leading up to his death in order to help us understand the circumstances in which he died.
"I would like to take this opportunity to stress that I do not believe Mr Hall was the victim of a random attack."