Man questioned over room lodger's murder

A man was being questioned tonight about the murder of a lodger found dead at the house where he was staying.

The victim, a 59-year-old man, was discovered at a house in Bangor, Co Down on Thursday night.

He had been renting a room in the property on Central Avenue in the coastal town.

His death was one of two within hours of each other that were being treated as separate murder inquiries by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

A spokesman for the force confirmed investigating detectives had arrested a man in connection with the killing.

Both the victim and 75-year-old Annie McCartan, whose body was discovered in the bathroom of her home in Warrenpoint, Co Down, had suffered head injuries.

Mrs McCartan had been violently attacked, detectives said.

She was found dead when her two sons called at the house in the town’s Summer Hill area on Thursday.

The last person to see the woman alive, four hours earlier, was her daughter-in-law.

Superintendent Alan McCrum, who is leading that murder investigation, said: “We are following a number of open lines of inquiry.”

A post-mortem examination was being carried out to determine how she died.

Although a motive has yet to be established, Mr McCrum urged neighbours to watch out for the elderly and vulnerable.

He added: “This is terrible tragedy which has hit the very heart of the community.

“But we would ask people to remain calm and we wish to assure the community that we are deploying all necessary resources to this investigation.”