Belfast police treating man's death as murder

The discovery of a man's body in a house in south Belfast overnight is being treated as murder by police.

The discovery of a man's body in a house in south Belfast overnight is being treated as murder by police.

The body of Mr John Barr (51) was found in his house on Hatfield Street off the Ormeau Road at around 9.00 p.m. last night.

A post mortem will be carried out later, but it is understood the victimsuffered extensive head injuries.

The house has been sealed off for technical examination.

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Detectives said they had yet to find a motive for the murder.

Belfast Lord Mayor Alex Maskey, a Sinn Féin councillor for the area, said Mr Barr was a generous man who had been exploited by others.

"He would have been known to have allowed people to stay in his house, to give people shelter," he said. "He was always willing to help others, but some of them preyed on his generosity."