Police say men on motorbike are responsible for South Shields murder

Police investigating the murder of takeaway owner Tipu Sultan in South Shields say two men seen on a motorbike near to where he was shot dead are responsible for his murder.

Just before 10pm on Tuesday, April 7, Tipu was approached by a man armed with a gun and shot from close range at the rear of the Herbs & Spice Kitchen takeaway in Lake Avenue in South Shields.

Police and paramedics were called to the scene but he died from single gunshot wound.

Two men on a motorbike were seen driving into the rear lane in Lake Avenue just before the shooting and seen driving away immediately after.

Witnesses describe the man that got off the bike and fired the gun as being white, wearing tight fitting black clothing and a motorcycle helmet with a visor and gloves. He was carrying a black bag with the gun hidden inside. He spoke with a north east accent.

The second man, who stayed on the bike during the shooting and was driving, was smaller and wearing all black motorbike type leathers, motorcycle boots and gloves. He was also wearing a helmet with the visor down.

The bike is described as a large red performance style bike, possibly a superbike, with a black seat. It had a loud sounding powerful engine and would have been noisy when driven off.

South Tyneside Superintendent Sav Patsalos said: "A full murder investigation is ongoing and teams of detectives are following up on a number of leads.

"We have had a good response from the public appeal and received a number of calls in relation to sightings of the bike in the area around the time of the incident. We are following up every piece of information that is coming in and we are continuing to appeal for anyone who thinks they can help to get in touch.

"We need information about the two men that were on the motorbike in Lake Avenue. If anyone thinks they may have seen them in the time before the shooting, or afterwards, then I'd ask them to contact us as soon as possible.

"Anyone with any information, no matter how insignificant or small they believe it to be, should pass it onto the investigation team and let us follow it up. Any piece of information could help us with our enquiries.

"Our enquiries so far lead us to believe that this wasn't a random attack and that there was some element of preplanning involved in the incident.

"We are still trying to establish a motive behind the murder and we continue to have extra officers in the area around Lake Avenue to speak to residents.

"Last night local officers visited takeaways and businesses in the area to speak to owners and staff and reassure them.

"Family Liaison Officers are supporting Tipu's family and we are continuing to keep them updated in relation to the investigation."