A FACTORY worker has died after an altercation with a colleague at a County Durham meat packing plant this morning.

Police and the ambulance service were called to Jacksons Wholesale Meat Supplies, in Moor View, Wheatley Hill at 6.30am after a 59-year-old man collapsed and died in an upstairs office.

The man, who has not been named but is understood to come from the Cleveland area, had earlier had an argument with a fellow employee.

Police say they are treating the death as suspicious and have arrested a 40-year-old man from Sunderland in connection with the incident. He is currently being held at Peterlee Police Station for questioning.

Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper will this afternoon carry out a post mortem examination at the University Hospital of North Durham to try to determine the cause of death.

An incident room has been set up and officers spent today at the scene interviewing members of staff.

Read the full story in The Northern Echo tomorrow.