A MAJOR police operation resulted in the arrest of a man in connection with the alleged murder of Craig Barker and the arrests of seven others.

On Wednesday evening, Cleveland Police officers descended upon a scrapyard in Darlington, with witnesses reporting seeing specialist negotiators, at least six armed response units, dog handlers and four police vans at the scene.

The Northern Echo:

Police vans rush to the scene of the incident on Albert Hill, in Darlington. Picture: Angelo Pereira

Their manhunt focused on the Green Street Motors scrapyard in Albert Road and followed the death of Stockton 47-year-old Craig Barker, also known as Craig Slater.

Mr Barker died on Tuesday after being assaulted in his Hardwick home on Sunday, during what is believed to be a targeted attack that also saw his dog Leon killed with a hammer.

Police believe his injuries, which led to him being airlifted to hospital in a critical condition, were caused by a sharp edged weapon.

A murder investigation was launched following Mr Barker’s death, with Wednesday evening’s operation – which ended at around 9pm - resulting in the arrest of a 25-year-old man on suspicion of alleged murder, animal cruelty, aggravated burglary and being in possession of an offensive weapon.

He remains in police custody along with the seven other people arrested – three women aged 22, 27 and 28 and three men aged 24, 28 and 35 who were apprehended under suspicion of assisting an offender and a 24-year-old man under suspicion of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.

A spokeswoman for the North East Ambulance Service confirmed on Wednesday night that they had been called to Albert Road in Darlington at 6.53pm to examine a man in police custody.

She said that the man was uninjured, adding: “He was checked over by the paramedic crew and was then handed back over to police custody after we’d determined that he didn’t require transport to hospital.”

Earlier this week, police appealed for help in tracing the occupants of a silver C-Class Mercedes which was seen in the Cleatlam Close area, where Mr Barker lived, before and after the attack.

The car was later found abandoned in Calf Fallow Lane in Norton.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Cleveland Police on non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.