A MAN who died in custody at Westlea police station had been arrested for assaulting his estranged wife, it has been revealed.

Colin Holcombe, 50, of Faring-don, was drunk when he was arrested on Saturday.

He spent the night alone in a police cell and collapsed and died at about 11am the following morning.

The Police Complaints Author-ity is to supervise an investigation into the death led by Det Chief Supt Dave Johnston of Avon and Somerset Constab-ulary.

Six police officers are likely to be interviewed and the investigation is expected to finish by the end of January.

The family of the man has been informed and a police-family liaison officer has been appointed.

Leo Pilkington, of the Police Complaints Authority, said that an officer was attending to Mr Holcombe in his cell when he collapsed and that a pathologist has so far been unable to establish the precise cause of his death.

But he stressed: "There is not at the moment any evidence of wrong-doing by any police officer.

The investigation will obviously find out whether this assertion is correct.

"This is a tragic incident and I would like to send my sympathies to the man's family and friends."

Stephen Long, deputy chief constable of Wiltshire Constabulary, said: "The investigating officer will consider the full pathologist's report, which will be with the force in the next few days. Wiltshire Constabulary will co-operate fully."

It is understood that two people have died in police custody in Wiltshire in the last 10 years.