VIDEO: Police reassure Plymouth residents city is still a safe place despite two murders in one day

ONE of the city's top detectives has insisted Plymouth is a safe place to live after police launched two murder investigations on the same day.

As two people were yesterday charged with the murder of Keith Dance at a flat in Molesworth Road, Stoke, police launched a separate murder inquiry after the body of a 42-year-old man was discovered at the rear of a Keyham pub.

Dept Supt Keith Perkin talks to the press about the two recent suspicious deaths

The unidentified man's body was found shortly after 10pm on Tuesday evening.

Mr Dance's body was found earlier the same day, at around 1am.

Det Supt Keith Perkin said that in the last eight years there had been seven murders in Plymouth.

He added: "For each of those seven murders all the offenders were known to their victims and all have been brought to justice.

"With a population of around 250,000 people, Plymouth is still one of the UK's safest cities."

He said it was unusual to have had two suspicious deaths in the city within such a short space of time.

However, he said there was "no trend, no pattern and no underlying cause for this".

He added: "Each one is different and each is unconnected with the other.

"Plymouth remains a safe city.

"When this rare occurrence happens we will do all that we can to bring people to justice quickly.

"In the last 48 hours our local officers have worked tirelessly to ensure that prompt arrests have been made and a thorough investigation has taken place."