Tragedy as man dies after falling from first floor flat

Tributes have been paid to a man who has died after falling from a first floor flat in Consett earlier this week.

Gary Brunton had been out with his friends on the evening of Monday, May 4 when it is believed he fell from the staircase leading to the flat on Albert Road.

The 51-year-old from Consett was taken to hospital with serious injuries but sadly died yesterday.

Today, his family paid tribute to him saying: “Losing Gary has left our entire family heartbroken beyond words. Our lives will never be the same without him.

“He will leave an enormous gap in the lives of not just our family but also his friends who he loved so much.

“To never see him again is breaking our hearts. We are going to miss him every day.

“We ask for privacy while we grieve and try to come to terms with our unimaginable loss.”

An investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident is ongoing and officers would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the incident.

Call Durham Constabulary on 101 with any information, quoting incident number 532 of May 4.