Two men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after the death of a 22-year-old soldier who went missing after a bar fight and alleged car ramming.

The men, aged 22 and 23, were taken into police custody on Saturday after the body of Liam Potts was found in the River Tyne on August 18, three days after he disappeared.

Mr Potts, who served with the Coldstream Guards, was last seen heading towards Wylam in Northumberland at around 12.20am on Saturday, August 15, and his body was found a short distance away from Wylam Bridge.

Prior to his disappearance, Northumbria Police had received a report of a fight and subsequent collision involving a vehicle and a group of pedestrians on the bridge.

On Monday, the police said two men were arrested and then bailed in connection with the report. 

They have since been re-arrested on suspicion of manslaughter as detectives investigate whether the two incidents directly led to Mr Potts entering the water, police said.

Mr Potts was not in the vehicle involved in the collision, nor was he struck by it, police said.

When officers found Mr Potts’s body they did not believe there to be any third-party involvement, but further inquiries have prompted the manslaughter arrests.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after the death of Coldstream Guards soldier Liam Potts, 22 

Liam’s body was found in the River Tyne on August 18, three days after he disappeared

He went missing near Wylam Bridge, Northumberland, after a pub fight and a car crash which happened in the area the previous evening 

A man and a woman, both in their 20s, suffered serious injuries in the collision.

The woman has been discharged, while the man remains in hospital for further treatment.

Searches for Mr Potts were carried out by Northumbria Police in conjunction with HM Coastguard, North of Tyne Mountain and Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue teams after the 22-year-old did not return from a night out with friends.

Specialist officers recovered a body on Tuesday, August 18.

No formal identification of the body has taken place, but Mr Potts’s next-of-kin have been informed.

His family said he was the ‘heart and soul of any room’.

They said: ‘To our Liam. You may no longer be here beside us, but your presence will never be forgotten. Your family, friends and colleagues have all said the same thing, “once you met Pottsy, you could never forget him.”

‘You really were the heart and soul of any room.

‘We are going to miss your smile, your laugh and the little things that made you who you are. Though time may pass, the love we have for you will never fade.

‘You will always be remembered, and forever loved. Rest peacefully, knowing that your memory lives on in all those whose lives you touched.’

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Rachael Rutherford, of Northumbria Police, said: ‘Our thoughts remain with Liam’s family during this difficult time.

‘The facts remain the same that Liam was on the bridge at the time of the collision, but he was not an occupant of the vehicle and was not struck by the vehicle.

‘Inquiries have revealed that Liam, for reasons yet to be established, entered the water within minutes of the collision.

‘We have therefore made the further re-arrests as we are looking to establish whether there is any link between the collision and Liam entering the water.’

Det Insp Rutherford added: ‘We know there has been a lot of confusion and speculation in the community. It’s clear that Liam was a very popular young man.

‘We are committed to finding answers for Liam’s family and we will continue to provide updates on our investigation.

‘We would remind people to avoid speculation both online and in our communities as this could impact the ongoing investigation.

‘We would continue to ask that people respect the family’s privacy at this tragic time.’