James Allen arrested in Leeds

• Monday April 23: Police find Colin Dunford, who was last seen alive at around 5pm on Sunday, dead with serious head injuries at his terraced house in Middlesbrough.
• Wednesday April 25: Julie Davison, who lived alone, is found dead by her sister at her rented flat in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

• Thursday April 26: Cleveland and North Yorkshire Police issue a joint appeal to find Allen after officers link the two deaths.
• Friday April 27 - Cleveland Police reveal Allen lived next door to Mr Dunford in Leven Street about a year ago.

• Saturday April 28: CCTV images of Allen in Scarborough and Leeds are released. Police confirm he stayed in a bed and breakfast, thought to be the Allerton Croft Hotel in Scarborough, on Wednesday night.
• Sunday April 29: Allen, 36, is arrested in south Leeds at 7.20am and held on suspicion of murder.

A man being hunted by police after he was suspected of killing two people in their own homes was arrested today.

James Allen, 36, was arrested in south Leeds at 7.20am and is being held on suspicion of murder in connection with the deaths of Colin Dunford, in Middlesbrough, and Julie Davison, in Whitby.

A 36-year-old man has been arrested by police hunting for double murder suspect James Allen, Cleveland Police said today.

Allen was wanted over the killings of Julie Davison, 50, in Whitby, North Yorkshire, and 81-year-old Colin Dunford in Middlesbrough.

A third police force has joined the manhunt for a violent convicted criminal suspected of killing two people in their own homes following a fresh sighting.

West Yorkshire Police joined the search after James Allen was seen on CCTV footage walking along Harehills Lane, Leeds at 2.41pm on Friday.

An urgent appeal to find Allen was issued by Cleveland Police and North Yorkshire Police following the murders of Julie Davison, 50, in Whitby, North Yorkshire, and 81-year-old Colin Dunford in Middlesbrough.

Police hunting double murder suspect James Allen have released CCTV footage of him walking, with his face hidden, in the Harehills area of Leeds on Friday afternoon.

Allen is suspected of two separate murders in which a man aged 81 and a woman aged 50 were found dead in their homes.

Police have released CCTV images of wanted man James Allen. The images show him in Scarborough on Wednesday and Thursday.

Allen is being hunted by police following the discovery of the body of an 81-year-old man in Middlesbrough on Monday and a 50-year-old woman in Whitby on Wednesday.

Speaking at a news conference in Middlesbrough this afternoon, temporary Detective Chief Superintendent Gordon Lang said the images showed Allen appeared to be growing his hair to change his appearance.

Mr Lang said: "The photographs show James Allen throughout the course of the week, caught on camera and show signs of hair growing through at both sides of his head.

"He was described as bald but there's now clear signs of hair growing."

The images show Allen in a number of locations, including a sports shop, in Scarborough on Wednesday and Thursday.

Mr Lang confirmed Allen stayed in a bed and breakfast, thought to be the Allerton Croft Hotel, in the seaside town on Wednesday night.

He said the guest house had been treated as a crime scene.

Mr Lang said there were also unconfirmed sightings of Allen in the Harehills area of Leeds on Thursday evening and Friday and these were being followed up by West Yorkshire Police.

Mr Lang issued a further message to Allen to hand himself in.

"Give yourself up. Give yourself up now. You need to be in police custody, you know you need to be in police custody, you know what you've done," he said.

"I think purely and simply by the tragic events that have unfolded, this is a man who cannot be at large, who needs to be arrested and that needs to happen as quickly as possible."

Temporary Detective Chief Superintendent Gordon Lang, head of crime operations for Cleveland Police, has told a news conference that he and his officers are determined to catch James Allen and bring him to justice.