Pub car crash murder inquiry

Craig Beesley died 20 hours after the crash

A murder inquiry has started after a man was killed and two others injured when a car hit a group of drinkers outside a Birmingham pub.

Craig Beesley from Weoley Castle in Birmingham died in hospital almost twenty hours after he was struck by the car.

Mr Beesley was standing outside the Golden Cross pub in Harborne with a group of friends at around 0030 BST on Sunday when the car crashed into the drinkers.

The police are treating the death as murder and have questioned three people.

The group was outside the Golden Cross pub

A spokesman for West Midlands police said there was a verbal dispute between a group of people outside the pub and a group in a white Vauxhall Cavalier.

The car drove off into Harborne Park Road but returned a few minutes later, crashing into the group of people outside the pub.

Two others were hurt, one sustained serious injuries though they are not thought to be life threatening.

The abandoned car was found in nearby St Peter's Road in Harborne, completely burned out.

Annette Thomas, a friend of Mr Beesley, said: "We are just gutted. We can't believe it.

"He was just a nice bloke who wouldn't offend anybody."

Detective Chief Inspector Malcolm Coall said: "Even an accident is tragic, but clearly there is a deliberate act here hence the reason we're launching a murder inquiry."

Police have been granted more time to question two women and a man.

A second man has been released on police bail.