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The IPCC is investigating the circumstances surrounding Northumbria Police contact with Christopher Pattinson, aged 24, in the hours leading up to his death on 10 February 2014.

Mr Pattinson had been arrested shortly after 2:00am on 10 February and was taken to Etal Lane police station in Newcastle. At around 8:00am Mr Pattinson was charged with driving a motor vehicle with excess alcohol and was driven by a police officer back to his vehicle, at the intersection of the A68 and A69, arriving shortly before 10.00am.

 Northumbria Police were notified around 10:40am that morning by British Transport Police, that a pedestrian, who was later identified as Mr Pattinson, had been hit by a train close to Stocksfield Station in Northumberland and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Northumbria Police referred the matter to the IPCC later that day.

IPCC Commissioner Cindy Butts said:

"Our investigation is in its very early stages and the IPCC lead investigator has met with Mr Pattinson’s family to offer our condolences and to explain our role.

"Given Mr Pattinson spent several hours in the custody of Northumbria Police on the morning that he died I have determined that the IPCC will investigate the circumstances surrounding police contact from the point at which Mr Pattinson was stopped until he was returned to his vehicle.

"In particular we will be examining what information the force had about his state of mind, both from conversations officers had with him and information they may have already held, and what pre-release assessments were made by the force before Mr Pattinson was released from custody and driven back to his vehicle. I will ensure our investigation is robust and provides the answers Mr Pattinson’s family and friends will understandably want.”

British Transport Police will be preparing a file for the Coroner.