A MAN in his forties has died following an assault at a hotel in Earley this morning.
Police were called to the Elmhurst Hotel, in Church Road, at 9.57am following reports that a man had been assaulted by two other men.
South Central Ambulance Service was also called to the scene but the victim, who has not yet been identified, was declared dead.
A scenewatch is currently in place at the hotel and road closures are in place in St Peters Road, Lennox Road and Church Road.
Two men from Reading, aged 28 and 38, were arrested in the centre of Reading shortly before 11am and are currently in custody.
Investigating officer, Det Sgt Richard Vint of Force CID based at Reading police station, said: “I would like to reassure the community that we are conducting a thorough investigation into this incident and we have already arrested two men on suspicion of murder. At this stage of the investigation we believe this was a targeted attack.
“We have a scenewatch in place at Elmhurst Hotel, as well as a number of road closures in place at this time. I would like to thank local residents for cooperating with these closures, which are in place so we can carry out our work.effectively
“I would appeal to anyone with any information about this murder to contact police immediately. You can either visit your nearest police station or call us on 101.
“If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.”
Supt Stan Gilmour, LPA Commander for Reading, said: “Dealing with violent crime is a priority for Reading police and we will work with our partners to resolve this as soon as possible.
“Any members of the public with concerns about the incident can speak to officers at the scene, visit their nearest police station or call us on 101.”