THE MAN who died during an assault which sparked a murder inquiry has been identified.  The man who died following an incident in Burnham-on-Sea earlier this week has been formally identified as Joseph Pearce, 40, from Burnham-on-Sea.

Emergency services were called to a house on Churchill Close at 11.56pm on Monday July 10 following reports of an assault.

Sadly Mr Pearce died at the scene.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out by a Home Office pathologist and concluded he died from a single stab wound.

Officers from the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT) are now leading the enquiry into his death.

Three men and three women have been arrested since the incident, with one man and two women released without charge. The other three remain in custody.

Detective Chief Inspector James Riccio, from MCIT, said: "We continue to offer support to Joseph's family during what is clearly a difficult time for them. We are leaving no stone unturned in our quest to established the full circumstances behind this horrific crime and are keeping the family updated with the progress of our enquiry.

"In total we have now arrested three men and three women in connection with our investigation. Two people - a man and a woman - have been released without charge and four remain in custody.

"Specialist crime scene investigators continue to examine the scene and the cordon around Churchill Close remains in place while their enquiries are completed. We'd like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding while we carry out our work and are grateful for their co-operation.

"We'd also like to continue to encourage anyone with any concerns relating to this incident to contact their neighbourhood team."

Anyone who saw anything suspicious on Churchill Close during Monday evening is also asked to contact MCIT via 101 quoting the reference number 5217157097.