Police arrest 21st person in Moat investigation

A 21ST person was arrested yesterday in connection with the investigation into fugitive gunman Raoul Moat.

A 26-year-old man was arrested in Newcastle yesterday on suspicion of assisting an offender, Northumbria Police said.

Moat, 37, a doorman from Newcastle, shot his former lover, killed her new boyfriend, blasted an unarmed policeman then went on the run for a week before shooting himself in Rothbury, Northumberland.

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said yesterday: "This brings the total number of people arrested in connection with this case to 21."

Two of those– Karl Ness, 26, from Dudley, North Tyneside, and Qhuram Awan, 23, from Blyth - were charged with conspiracy to murder and will stand trial next year..

Since the Moat inquiry began, police have arrested one man on suspicion of firearms offences and another 17 on suspicion of assisting an offender.

They have all been bailed pending further inquiries.