A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead in Darlington town centre, police have said.
Durham Constabulary said officers were called to Parkgate at around 9.15pm on Wednesday and found a woman's body at the scene. A police cordon was in place, with inquiries understood to centre on a property above a town centre pub called The Greyhound.
The woman has not been formally identified but is believed to be in her 40s. A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and a 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Investigation under way
Specialists are examining the crime scene, and officers are carrying out inquiries in the area. Both men remain in police custody.
A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said: "A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead in Darlington last night (Wednesday, September 23). Officers were called to an address in Parkgate at about 9.15pm. Sadly, a woman was pronounced dead at the scene."
"Formal identification has yet to take place, but it is believed to be a woman in her 40s. An investigation has been launched, and two men have been arrested – a 44-year-old on suspicion of murder, and a 27-year-old on suspicion of assisting an offender."
Appeal for information
The North East Ambulance Service said they were called to a private address at 9.15pm and dispatched one ambulance crew, one clinical team leader, and one duty officer.
The cordon is expected to remain in place for some time. Anyone with information is asked to call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident number 521 of September 23, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
