TWO MEN ARRESTED OVER DEATH OF SOLDIER FOUND IN RIVER TYNE

Two men aged 22 and 23 were arrested on Saturday on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of Liam Potts, a 22-year-old soldier who served with the Coldstream Guards. Mr Potts's body was recovered from the River Tyne four days after he went missing on a night out. He was last seen heading towards Wylam in Northumberland at approximately 12.20am on 15 August. Northumbria Police said detectives were investigating whether a disturbance and vehicle collision on Wylam Bridge led to Mr Potts entering the water.

The two men had been arrested and bailed in connection with the disturbance and collision on Monday, before being re-arrested on Saturday. Police stated that Mr Potts was not in the vehicle involved in the collision and was not struck by it. A report of the disturbance and collision, which involved a group of pedestrians on the bridge, prompted initial police attendance at the scene. A man and a woman, both in their 20s, sustained serious injuries in the collision; the woman has been discharged from hospital whilst the man remains receiving treatment.

Police said that when Mr Potts's body was first discovered, they held no belief that third-party involvement had occurred. Further inquiries subsequently led to the re-arrests on suspicion of manslaughter. Mr Potts's family released a tribute describing him as the "heart and soul of any room" and stating that "your presence will never be forgotten".