Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with the murder of a popular father feared to have been stabbed with a samurai sword.

A 19-year-old walked into a Middlesbrough police station following the brutal killing of 31-year-old scaffolder Robert Dunne.

Shortly afterwards a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old surrendered themselves to detectives at the police station and all three were accompanied by solicitors.

A Cleveland police spokesman said the three teenagers were from the West Lane area of Middlesbrough where Mr Dunne was stabbed once in the back on Saturday afternoon following a row with a group of youths.

Detectives could not confirm reports that Mr Dunne, father of a nine-month-old son Liam, was attacked with a samurai sword as they have yet to find the murder weapon.