A MAN who was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition after an assault in Pitsea has now died.

His death is being treated as murder and a 47-year-old man from Basildon who was initially arrested on suspicion of GBH has now additionally been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Police believe the victim, a man aged in his 60s, was assaulted in the Pitsea area at about 2am on Wednesday morning either while walking his dog or at his home in the Malyons Mews area.

Throughout the day his condition worsened and he was subsequently admitted to hospital, where his condition again deteriorated.

His death was confirmed this morning (Friday, 17 September). A 47-year-old man from Basildon has been arrested on suspicion of GBH and murder. He remains in custody for questioning.

Senior Investigating Officer, Julie Gowen, said: "Tragically, I can now confirm the victim of this assault has now died and my thoughts and the thoughts of everyone in my team are with his family and friends.

"The investigation is fast-moving and my team are working tirelessly to establish what happened in the lead up to the assault and the hours after it.

"Incidents such as this will understandably cause concern within the community. This is not being treated as a random attack. We believe the person who carried out this attack and the victim were known to each other and there is no wider threat to the public.

"I would also reiterate my earlier appeal for anyone who may have witnessed the assault of a dog walker in the Pitsea area at about 2am on Wednesday morning to come forward and speak to my team."

Acting Chief Inspector Steve Parry, of Basildon Community Policing Team, added: "This tragic incident will naturally cause shock within our community. I know detectives in our Major Crime Team have worked through the night on this investigation and continue to make progress on it today.

"But I am also acutely aware of the impact it will have on the Pitsea community.

"There will be highly visible police patrols in place throughout today and into the weekend.

"My officers will be there to keep you safe and provide reassurance. If you do have any concerns, please speak to them."

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information on it is asked to call police on 101 and cite incident 1522 of September 15. You can also submit a report online via this link where you can use the 'Live Chat' button to speak to an online operator between 7am and 11pm. Information can also be given to independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers won't ask your name or any personal details, they won't record your call and your number won't be displayed. When information is passed from Crimestoppers to the police, it doesn't contain any information which could identify you.