A woman discovered the body of her boyfriend who was murdered in a brutal and apparently motiveless attack in his own home, police said today.

Detectives have launched a murder investigation after Colin Johnson suffered multiple injuries at the house in the Pennywell area of Sunderland.

Police were called out to the address in Pickering Road after he was found on Saturday night, a spokesman for Northumbria Police said. Mr Johnson had spent the evening at home and his girlfriend discovered him just before 10.30pm.

Officers were today appealing for members of the local community to come forward to help them unravel the case. Detective Chief Inspector Mike Jones said: ''This was a brutal murder of a decent man in his own home and at this stage there would appear to be no obvious motive for it.

''We would like to speak to anyone who was in Pickering Road that evening and I would appeal to the community in Pennywell to come forward with any information about this murder no matter how insignificant they think it is.''

An incident room has been set up at Washington police station and anyone with any information has been asked to contact detectives on 0191 5636408.