POLICE officers from three forces yesterday carried out a series of raids across the North-East in the hunt for the killers of the North-East pensioner who was murdered in a pub shooting.

Detectives hunting the gunmen who shot dead 72-year-old Fred Fowler were yesterday involved in a series of operations in Durham City, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough the previous 24 hours.

The raids began in the Framwellgate Moor area of Durham City on Wednesday evening, when a 46-year-old man, from Billingham, was arrested in connection with the murder, and a 40-year-old man, from the Durham area, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Several hours later, at about midnight, a 19-year-old was arrested in Hartlepool on suspicion of murder.

All three were last night in custody helping police with their inquiries.

By yesterday evening, the focus of the investigation had shifted to Middlesbrough's Pallister Park estate.

Last night, police confirmed that an ongoing operation was under way in the area, but declined to elaborate on the precise nature of the investigation, which had continued all day.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said: "We can confirm that an operation is under way in the Middlesbrough area in connection with the Hendon shootings inquiry, but at this stage we are unable to release further details."

Cleveland Police remained equally tight-lipped. A spokesman said: "We are working closely with Northumbria Police officers in an investigation into a murder in their area."

The arrests began a day after the funeral of Mr Fowler, who was shot last month as he sat enjoying a quiet Sunday evening pint in his local pub, the Tap and Barrel, in the Hendon area of Sunderland.

Two men, one armed with a shotgun and the second with a handgun, opened fire, killing Mr Fowler, a charity fundraiser and father-of-one, and wounding 19-year-old Michael Nixon.

One man, Robert Fox, a 36-year-old from the Red House area of the city, has already appeared in court to face one charge of murder, one charge of grievous bodily harm in respect of Mr Nixon, and several firearms offences.