Two men arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after the death of 22-year-old soldier Liam Potts have been released on bail, Northumbria Police has confirmed.
The men, aged 22 and 23, were arrested on Saturday after Mr Potts's body was found in the River Tyne on Tuesday (August 18), three days after he disappeared during a night out. The force said on Saturday evening that the two men had been released on bail.
Discovery after search
Mr Potts, who served with the Coldstream Guards, was last seen heading towards Wylam in Northumberland at around 12.20am last Saturday (August 15). His body was found a short distance from Wylam Bridge following a major search involving police, HM Coastguard, North of Tyne Mountain Rescue and Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue teams.
Before his disappearance, Northumbria Police had received a report of a disturbance and a subsequent collision involving a vehicle and a group of pedestrians on the bridge.
Investigation and arrests
On Monday, the force said two men had been arrested in connection with the report and released on bail. They were re-arrested on suspicion of manslaughter on Saturday as detectives investigated whether the two incidents directly led to Mr Potts entering the water, police said. Mr Potts was not in the vehicle involved in the collision, nor was he struck by it, according to the force.
Police said that when officers found Mr Potts's body, they did not believe there was any third-party involvement, but further inquiries led to the manslaughter arrests. A man and a woman, both in their 20s, suffered serious injuries in the collision. The woman has been discharged, while the man remains in hospital for further treatment.
Family tribute
In a tribute, Mr Potts's family said he was the "heart and soul of any room". They said: "To our Liam. You may no longer be here beside us, but your presence will never be forgotten. Your family, friends and colleagues have all said the same thing: 'Once you met Pottsy, you could never forget him.'"
"You really were the heart and soul of any room. We are going to miss your smile, your laugh and the little things that made you who you are. Though time may pass, the love we have for you will never fade."
"You will always be remembered, and forever loved. Rest peacefully, knowing that your memory lives on in all those whose lives you touched."
They continued: "To everyone who reached out with kind messages, calls, visits, flowers and thoughtful gestures; please know how deeply grateful we are."
"Your love and support bring us comfort when we need it most; it really has been extremely overwhelming the amount of support we have been receiving. It's clear to see how loved Liam was."
"Thank you to everyone who tirelessly supported in the search for Liam, including all the members of the public. As you will have hopefully already seen, a GoFundMe page has been created to donate to all the amazing volunteers of the Mountain Rescue Teams."
"However, beyond this, we would like to extend our appreciation to Northumbria Police, particularly the diving team that were able to successfully bring our boy home."
Police appeal
Detective Inspector Rachael Rutherford, of Northumbria Police, said: "Our thoughts remain with Liam's family during this difficult time. The facts remain the same, that Liam was on the bridge at the time of the collision, but he was not an occupant of the vehicle and was not struck by the vehicle."
"Inquiries have revealed that Liam, for reasons yet to be established, entered the water within minutes of the collision. We have therefore made the further re-arrests as we are looking to establish whether there is any link between the collision and Liam entering the water."
Det Insp Rutherford added: "We know there has been a lot of confusion and speculation in the community. It's clear that Liam was a very popular young man. We are committed to finding answers for Liam's family and we will continue to provide updates on our investigation."
"We would remind people to avoid speculation both online and in our communities as this could impact the ongoing investigation. We would continue to ask that people respect the family's privacy at this tragic time."
Anyone with information that could help is asked to send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media, use the live chat and report forms on the force's website, or call 101, quoting reference number NP-20260814-0016.
