POLICE watchdogs are to investigate the death of a man eight weeks after he was arrested by officers in North Yorkshire.
The Police Complaints Authority will be examine the circumstances that led to the death of 33-year-old Patrick Lowther.
Mr Lowther, from Cornfield Road, Stockton, was arrested on November 12, last year, for alleged drink-driving at Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby.
While he was being taken to the police station in York Mr Lowther lapsed into unconsciousness.
Despite police efforts to resuscitate him he was still unconscious when an ambulance arrived to take him to York District Hospital.
He was later transferred to the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, where he died on Friday, without regaining consciousness.
A post-mortem examination has established Mr Lowther died of pneumonia.
A spokesman for the North Yorkshire force: "Technically, although he spent the last eight weeks in hospital, Mr Lowther died in police custody and we have referred the matter to the Police Complaints Authority, which will oversee an investigation into the circumstances."
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