Police killing suspect held after armed unit swoops on hotel

The prime suspect in the hunt for PC Ian Broadhurst's killer was arrested by armed police after a raid on a hotel early yesterday.

Nathan Coleman was arrested without a struggle at about 2am at the hotel in Dunston, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, following a tip-off from the hotel's owner, Stan McKale. Mr McKale later claimed that police had found a gun and 100 rounds of ammunition under Mr Coleman's mattress. PC Broadhurst, a traffic police officer, was shot dead on Boxing Day in Leeds.

Mr Coleman, 35, who is believed to be from America, was being interviewed yesterday in Leeds about PC Broadhurst's murder.

Mr McKale, who owns the Royal Hotel guest house, where Mr Coleman was arrested, said that the suspect had arrived by taxi at 3pm on Tuesday, wearing thick glasses and a trilby hat. He said that the receptionist, Vicky Brown, 33, was uneasy about Mr Coleman. He said: "At the time, we weren't really looking for any more guests because we wanted to close down for New Year. But he agreed to only stay for one night so we let him and he went up to his room."

He said that Ms Brown telephoned him after Mr Coleman had gone up to his room. He said: "She thought there was something a bit funny about him. He didn't seem to want to speak very much.

"When he went out we told Vicky to go to his room and look at what was in there, but he only had a bomber jacket with him. She said he was a big fellow, heavily built, a bit like a bouncer."

Mr McKale said that he became suspicious after watching a television news item on Tuesday night about police closing York railway station in their hunt for Mr Coleman. He rang Northumbria Police at about 11pm and by midnight armed officers had surrounded the hotel, which is in an industrial area.

The 21-roomed, white timber-clad hotel, which advertises double rooms at £47.25 a night and overlooks the river Tyne, was closed yesterday as police forensic teams scoured the building.

Mr McKale said: "The officer in charge told me afterwards that if it hadn't been for our call more people could have died.

"Because the officers were armed he didn't try anything, he surrendered. But under that mattress they found a live gun ready to go. The chambers were full and he had 100 rounds of live ammunition."

His wife Margaret McKale, 64, said: "In our line of work, you come across people you are unhappy about all he time. But this one gave me a gut feeling, just from what Vicky said.

"I really wasn't sure whether we should have called the police, I actually went into work this morning feeling bad in case this man had been harassed for no reason. But now I am so glad we acted on our instinct."

Mr Coleman was held yesterday at Bedlington police station, 15 miles north of Gateshead, until leaving in a white police van at 1.25pm.

The van arrived at high speed at Bridewell police station in Leeds shortly before 3.20pm. It was escorted by three police cars, carrying armed officers, and a motor cycle outrider. The West Yorkshire force helicopter followed above. As the convoy approached the police station, more armed officers were deployed at the entrance to the yard. The van was driven into a secure area and disappeared behind a large steel shutter.

The arrest of Mr Coleman, 35, a nightclub doorman, came three days after he was named as the main suspect in the murder of PC Broadhurst and the attempted murder of two colleagues.

The shootings happened after PC Broadhurst and his colleague, PC Neil Roper, approached a BMW which was parked illegally. PC Roper was about to handcuff the driver of the BMW when he produced the gun. PC Roper was shot and another officer, PC James Banks, escaped injury because a bullet hit his radio belt.