A murder investigation was under way today after a man's body was found in a ransacked Belfast flat.
Detectives said the victim was beaten to death in a savage assault in the building in north Belfast's Forthriver Road.
The 26-year-old man was last seen alive at 10 p.m. on Tuesday. Friends called to see him last night and had to force their way in. The body was found in a bedroom.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan said the victim had suffered a vicious assault.
"It is an absolutely horrific attack. This poor man has been very savagely beaten and at this stage we believe he was beaten to death."
He appealed for anyone in the area who knew anything, had seen anything or spotted someone with blood on their clothes to contact the RUC.
Police have no motive yet for the killing, and forensic experts are still searching the flat.
PA