Man dies after being stopped in car by armed police investigating murder

Police were conducting a murder investigation after the body of a man in his forties was found in a field

The driver was being followed by Leicestershire Police on the A52 Bingham bypass (Google Maps)

A man has died after he was stopped by armed police in his car in connection with an ongoing murder investigation.

The police watchdog has launched an inquiry into the incident on the A52 Bingham bypass in the early hours of Thursday.

Leicestershire Police officers were conducting a murder investigation after the body of a man in his forties was found in a field in Plungar on Tuesday afternoon.

In the early hours of yesterday morning (Wednesday), a 56-year-old man from Grantham was arrested on suspicion of murder. He has since been released under investigation.

Then at 12:30am on Thursday, a 46-year-old driver was being followed by police on the A52 near Nottingham.

Officers approached the vehicle where the male driver was found to have suffered a serious injury to his head. Despite the efforts of officers to provide immediate first aid to the man, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A non-police issue firearm was discovered in the silver Mazda Tamura.

The force has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and said it will co-operate fully.

“Initial accounts have been provided by officers involved and we have also gathered police body worn footage for review,” a IOPC spokesperson said.

Leicestershire Police have appealed for information and witnesses to come forward in connection with the Plungar murder investigation.

Senior investigating officer in the murder investigation, detective inspector David Greenhalgh from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “Our enquiries following the discovery of a man’s body in Plungar remain ongoing as we continue to establish the full circumstances of what has happened. Specialist officers are providing support to the man’s family at this time.”

Road closures remain in place on the A52 Bingham bypass, the police said.