Investigation into police response

THE police response to a noisy party in Great Yarmouth hours before the discovery of a body at the same address, is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

THE police response to a noisy party in Great Yarmouth hours before the discovery of a body at the same address, is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Police went to the terraced house in the town's Alderson Road on the evening of September 2 after a call from a neighbour expressing concerns about a disturbance.

The officers, who attended within five minutes, reported the premises quiet with nothing to report, but the following morning the body of a man was discovered in the property.

A post-mortem examination revealed he had died from a head injury and he was later identified as Andreus Makarov, 36, a Latvian who had been living in Britain for a year.

The matter was referred to the IPCC by Norfolk police and it was determined that it would manage the investigation.

The IPCC is liaising with the force's murder investigation team inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Makarov, in particular that part of the inquiry aiming to establish the time of death.

David Petch, IPCC commissioner said: “Our investigation is focusing on the actions taken by the officers and how they carried out their duties while attending the premises that evening.”

A Norfolk police spokesman said that the investigation was ongoing and the death was still being treated as suspicious. However, no murder inquiry had been launched.

An inquest had been opened at Yarmouth coroners' court and adjourned pending the outcome of the police inquiry.

At the time of the incident, one neighbour, Arthur Banham, said he and his disabled wife Jean had never had any problems with the people living next door - they were quiet and that is what they liked.