A father has been beaten to death after leaving a pub featured in a reality TV series.

Sean Ridley, 38, died on Friday in what appears to have been a motiveless attack yards from his girlfriend's front door.

He had left the Balmoral, in Arthur's Hill, Newcastle, the setting for the ITV programme WestEnders.

The show, narrated by Big Brother's Jonny Regan, centred on the pub and featured the lives of a number of people in Newcastle's tough West End.

The killing of Mr Ridley stunned the pub's customers, many of whom were said to be distraught yesterday.

His two daughters from a previous relationship, aged 14 and 16, were being comforted by relatives at their Newcastle home.

Mr Ridley, who was a fibreglass moulder at a local factory, had enjoyed a night in the Balmoral with his two brothers and a friend. They left the pub at 11.20pm.

Mr Ridley then set off to walk to his girlfriend's home in Elswick, a mile away.

He was attacked outside her home in Sovereign Court and suffered severe head injuries which proved fatal.

The detective leading the hunt described the attack as "unprovoked and particularly violent".

Detective Chief Inspector Bob Pallas said: "There is nothing to suggest the motive was robbery and there had been no trouble in the pub earlier.

"We need to speak to anyone who might have seen Sean between the time he left the Balmoral and began his walk.

"He died from head injuries and we want to know how they were caused. We cannot rule out the use of a weapon."

* Two men have been arrested and were last night helping police with their inquiries.