Peter Maine death: Stabbed body 'suspicious' police say
The death of a man found stabbed near a running track at a sports centre is being treated by police as suspicious.
Peter Maine, 56, from Wynyard, Stockton-on-Tees, was found near the track at Maiden Castle's sports centre at about 08:00 BST on Sunday.
Durham Police said his death was being treated as suspicious but "unexplained" and have launched an investigation.
The force is appealing for anybody with information who was in the area between 07:15 and 08:15 to come forward.
The area was cordoned off as officers from specialist search teams, including marine experts, carried out extensive searches of the River Wear and its banks.
In a statement, the family of the married father of two said: "Peter was a loving husband to Joanna, a devoted father to Lucy and Jessica and a much-loved son of George and brother to Helen.
"Words at this time cannot express how we, his family, are feeling."
Mr Maine's black Land Rover Discovery had been parked in the city centre's Old Elvet just before 07:30 and he was wearing blue tracksuit bottoms, trainers and a short-sleeved black running top.