INVESTIGATIONS are continuing into what has been described as a suspicious death at a market town.

Michael Burrup, 36, and a Sunderland holidaymaker were dragged from a stagnant pool in Stanhope, County Durham, in the early hours of Saturday after a heated row on a riverbank.

Mr Burrup, from Railway Terrace, Stanhope, had been part of a group walking home from the Packhorse pub in the market square when he became embroiled in a row near the Heather View caravan site.

The two men fell through a fence, down a 15ft embankment and landed in the water. A friend of Mr Burrup dragged them out, but the Stanhope man was already dead.

Detective Superintendent Harry Stephenson, who is leading the investigation, said a post-mortem examination failed to establish the exact cause of death, and they are not yet certain whether severe head injuries found on Mr Burrup led to his death.

He said they were waiting for the 26-year-old Sunderland man to recover in hospital, so they could question him about the incident.

Det Supt Stephenson said finding witnesses could prove difficult because the incident happened at 3am, but he was confident people would to come forward with information.

He said: "You have to remember we have people up there for the weekends. There were caravan lights on in the caravan park, and certainly some of these people having heard shouting have come forward."

The atmosphere at the Blackett Hutton Foundry, in Stanhope, where he worked, was sombre as staff heard the news of their colleague's death.

He was a process worker at the plant, known locally as Blair's Foundry, for five years.

Works director Stan Henderson said: "A lot of the people here are very, very shocked. We have 260 people on site and the majority come from the local area. It's a close-knit place, he worked in different departments so the vast majority knew Michael."

Anyone with information should contact Crook police on (01388) 762011