BELOVED MUM LEANNE PARK, 44, FOUND DEAD ABOVE DARLINGTON PUB AS MAN IS CHARGED WITH MURDER

DARLINGTON, England — A 44-year-old mother described by her family as “loved by everyone” was found dead inside a flat above a Darlington pub, prompting a murder investigation and the arrest of a local man.

Leanne Park was pronounced dead at the scene at around 9:15 p.m. on September 23, after emergency services were called to The Greyhound pub on Parkgate in Darlington, County Durham.

A 44-year-old man, Andrew Bell of Darlington, has since been charged with murder and remanded in police custody.

He was due to appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on September 28. The murder charge is an allegation, and Bell has not been convicted.

POLICE DESCEND ON THE PUB

Emergency services were called to the property on the evening of September 23.

Despite efforts by paramedics, Leanne was pronounced dead at the scene.

Durham Police established a cordon around the area while specialist crime-scene investigators began examining the property and surrounding area.

The investigation remained active as detectives worked to establish what happened to Leanne and the circumstances surrounding her death.

Police later confirmed that Bell had been charged with murder.

A second man, aged 27, was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

He was subsequently released on bail while the investigation continued.

HER FAMILY DESCRIBES HER AS “THE LIFE AND SOUL OF THE PARTY”

As investigators worked at the scene, Leanne’s family released an emotional tribute to the mother, grandmother, daughter and friend they had lost.

They described her as “the best mam, nana, daughter, and friend we could wish for.”

“She was loved by everyone and would do anything for anyone,” the family said.

They remembered Leanne as someone who brought energy and happiness into the lives of those around her.

“She was the life and soul of the party and loved to dance,” they said.

The family added that her death had left them devastated.

“We love her so much and miss her more than words can describe,” they said.

TRIBUTES APPEAR OUTSIDE THE GREYHOUND

News of Leanne’s death prompted an outpouring of grief in the local community.

Flowers and handwritten messages were placed outside The Greyhound as friends, relatives and others who knew her paid tribute.

One message described her as someone who would remain “always in our hearts.”

Another tribute called her a beloved aunt and said she was deeply loved and would be greatly missed.

Leanne’s colleagues at Ventress Hall care home in Darlington also remembered her as a caring person who would “do anything for anybody,” particularly for the residents in her care.

In a tribute shared online, colleagues described her death as heartbreaking and said she would never be forgotten.

POLICE CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE

Durham Constabulary said specialist crime-scene investigators were continuing to work at the location and warned that the police cordon would remain in place for some time.

Detectives have appealed to anyone who may have information about what happened on the night of September 23 to come forward.

Police asked witnesses to contact Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident number 521 of September 23.

The investigation remains ongoing.

For Leanne’s family, however, the police inquiry is unfolding alongside an immeasurable personal loss.

They have asked people to remember her not for the circumstances of her death, but for the person she was in life — a mother, grandmother, daughter, friend and colleague who they say was kind-hearted, generous and loved by everyone.