THE identity of the man murdered after a New Year's Eve brawl in Hampshire has been revealed, as officers have been given more time to question a suspect.

Chris Cerqua, 31, died from his injuries following a fight inside a house in Hythe on Tuesday evening.

Police have now been given more time to question the man they have arrested in connection with the death.

They will be able to continue questioning the suspect until Police now have until 12.58pm Friday. January 3.

As reported by the Daily Echo, police were called to an address in Langdown Road around 9pm following reports of trouble inside the property and found the victim seriously injured.

They called South Central Ambulance Service and paramedics rushed Mr Cerqua to Southampton General Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10.20pm.

A murder enquiry was launched by Hampshire police's Major Investigation Team who arrested a man aged 31 in the early hours of Wednesday morning at an address in Totton.

He spent yesterday in the cells before interviews got underway concerning what had happened.

A post mortem examination was due to be carried out yesterday afternoon to determine how the victim died but the results of that have not yet been released by police.

Throughout yesterday as residents woke to find a heavy police presence in their neighbourhood they spoke of their shock that someone's New Year's Eve had ended so tragically.

Brenda Smith, chairman of Hythe and Dibden Parish Council, said: “It's deeply regrettable and tragic that someone's New Year's Eve ended in this way.

“I don't know the circumstances but it's not something we're used to in Hythe, where violent crime is very rare.

“My heart goes out to the family of the person who died.”

Neighbours awoke to the sight of a police car parked near the murder scene and a uniformed officer standing guard outside.

The property, one of a semi-circular row of houses near the junction of Langdown Road and South Street, appeared to be deserted.

The downstairs blinds were drawn and the upstairs curtains were also closed.

Part of the blue and white police tape used to cordon off the property the night before was still attached to the garden railings.

The terraced house is only a few hundred yards from Waterside Primary School.

A woman living nearby said: “The police came here on Tuesday night and said there had been a serious incident but we hadn't seen anything apart from blue flashing lights.

“It's an awful thing to have happened, especially on New Year's Eve.”