A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of a man in his 50s in Cobham in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The man was pronounced dead at 2.45am after he collapsed while speaking to police in Anyards Road, when the silver van he was driving was stopped by officers following a large fight which broke out in Hamilton Avenue.
Witnesses said between 10 and 20 people, some armed with baseball bats, were involved in the fight, which emerged between two large groups of people in the street earlier that morning.
The man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter is aged in his 40s and is currently in custody. A man in his late teens has also been detained on suspicion of assault.
Surrey Police spokesman James Baker said: "A post-mortem examination is due to take place this afternoon on the man who collapsed and later died when a van was stopped in Anyards Road. Enquiries remain ongoing.
"Officers had been called to Hamilton Avenue at around 1.30am following reports that two large groups of people were fighting in the street. Witnesses said between 10 and 20 people, some armed with baseball bats, were involved in the altercation.
"Shortly after the incident, a silver van left the scene and was subsequently stopped by police officers in Anyards Road. Whilst officers were speaking to the driver, he collapsed.
"Both the officers and then paramedics who attended administered CPR at the scene but the man, who was aged in his 50s, was pronounced dead at around 2.45am. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) have been informed of the incident.
"Officers from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team are currently carrying out enquiries to establish if there is a connection between the two incidents."
A man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of affray yesterday but has now been released on bail pending further enquiries.
