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Investigation begins into Middlesbrough death in custody

Factual summary of a published IOPC investigation, covering the incident, key findings and outcome.

All IOPC reports
Published
2023-06-21
Investigation type
independent
Force involved
Cleveland Police

What was investigated

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is independently investigating the death of a 50-year-old man in police custody in Middlesbrough. The man became unwell shortly after arriving at the custody suite and despite attempts to save him, he sadly died.

Key findings

  • The man was detained by Cleveland Police officers before becoming unwell.
  • An ambulance was called to assist the man at 12.35pm.
  • The man sadly died just after 1pm.
  • An independent investigation was declared following a referral from the force.
  • Investigators began reviewing evidence including CCTV footage and initial accounts from staff.
  • Contact was made with the man's family to explain the investigation process.

Outcome

An independent investigation is ongoing to assess the events leading up to and during the man's time in custody.

Read the full report on policeconduct.gov.uk

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Reviewed by the BlueLineHub Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 13 July 2026 · Next review due: 13 January 2027

This is a factual summary of a report published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Individuals are referred to exactly as the source report anonymises them. BlueLineHub is independent and not affiliated with the IOPC · Summarised 2026-07-13.