Detectives investigating the death of Raymond Quigley are now trawling through CCTV footage in a bid to unravel the final hours of his life.

Mr Quigley was found injured at Beechbrooke, Ryhope, in the early hours of Sunday morning. He died an hour later at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

Police are now hoping to learn more about his movements on Saturday night and Sunday morning and are appealing for any passengers in his taxi that night to come forward.

They believe Mr Quigley's customers could hold vital information about his final moments prior to the confrontation that left him injured.

It has now been established that he picked up his final fare at Newcastle's Central Station and detectives are examining footage taken from the taxi rank there.

Extensive tests carried out after his death have confirmed Mr Quigley suffered a heart attack during the incident.

The popular pensioner has held a hackney licence since 1987. It is believed he had been working from the taxi rank at Newcastle's Central Station but may have picked up fares elsewhere in the city.

His black VW Passat, which had a white taxi sign on the roof, was left abandoned in the middle of Waterworks Road. The cab also had red writing on the sides and badge on the back showing the number 48.

Detectives are also appealing for fellow taxi drivers who may have seen Mr Quigley on Saturday night or Sunday morning to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Mick Paterson, leading the investigation, said: "We have had an excellent response from the community so far, particularly those in Stockton Road and Beechbrooke.

"The area where this happened is a quiet area of Sunderland and incidents such as this are few and far between.

"We are trying to piece together which route Mr Quigley took in his final journey and exactly what happened in the car. We would also like to hear from anyone who was in his taxi on Saturday night or Sunday morning prior to his final journey."
l A 17-year-old youth arrested in connection with the incident has been bailed pending further inquiries.