Family tribute issued: Investigation into the death of a man in his 40s in Whitby town centre
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“The loss of Jason has left such a huge void in all our lives that cannot ever be replaced" - Monday 23 March 2025
The family of a man who died following an incident on Flowergate, Whitby, earlier this month have issued a tribute to him as we are now able to formally name him, and as our investigation continues.
He was Jason Smith, 49, originally from Hull but living in Halifax at the time. He sadly died from injuries sustained during the incident, which occurred at The Elsinore Pub in the town at 11.12pm on Sunday 15 March.
In a tribute, his family said: “On the evening of Sunday 15th March, a dearly loved son, brother, fiancé, uncle, cousin and friend was taken away from us all in devastating circumstances.
“The loss of Jason has left such a huge void in all our lives that cannot ever be replaced.
“He will continue to live on in our hearts and memories as the kind, loving, generous, hardworking and larger than life character that he was.
“Jason will be greatly missed by so many every day and for the rest of our lives. We are all forever heartbroken.”
Jason’s family have asked that their privacy be respected during this difficult time, and that they be allowed the space to grieve in peace.
As shared in previous updates, four men were arrested in connection with the investigation and have since been released on conditional bail.
Our Major Investigation Team (MIT) is continuing to investigate the incident.
Detectives are now appealing directly to anyone who was in the pub at the time and has not yet spoken to us to come forward. Any information you have may help us further piece together the events of that evening.
If you have any information that could assist the investigation, please upload details directly to our Major Incident Public reporting portal (MIPP) by clicking on the North Yorkshire Police Tile:Public Portal
Alternatively, you can contact North Yorkshire Police by calling 101.
If you would like to remain anonymous, information can also be provided confidentially to Crimestoppers via their website or by calling 0800 555 111.
Please quote reference 12260046853 when providing any information.
Update 12.41 - Tuesday 17 March 2026
All four have since been released on conditional bail.
Enquiries are continuing and officers are still urging anyone with information who has yet to spoken to them to get in touch.
Please contact North Yorkshire Police by calling 101, and quoting reference 12260046853.
Orignal update
At 11.12pm yesterday (Sunday 15 March) we attended reports of a disturbance at an address on Flowergate, Whitby.
On arriving, officers encountered a man in his late 40s who was unresponsive and gave him CPR while the ambulance arrived.
Sadly the man, who is from the Halifax area, could not be revived by medics and was pronounced dead following sustained attempts to save his life.
Detectives at North Yorkshire Police have launched a manslaughter investigation and the man’s family is being supported by officers.
Four men have been arrested in connection with the investigation while police establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
This investigation remains ongoing and there is a significant police presence in the area to support the community.
Detectives have already spoken to a number of witnesses but are urging anyone with information who has yet to speak to them to get in touch.
Please contact North Yorkshire Police by calling 101, and quoting reference 12260046853.