M1 gun death man 'fled row house'

Graham Jenkins died on his way to hospital in Nottingham

A man who shot himself dead after a high speed police chase is understood to have fled his former girlfriend's house after an argument.

Graham Jenkins, 44, from Hereford, shot himself after being stopped by police who had chased him 50 miles from Thorne near Doncaster into Nottinghamshire.

Officers had been called to the Thorne address early on Thursday and Mr Jenkins was followed onto the M1.

Mr Jenkins shot himself after officers fired a baton round at him.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is overseeing the inquiry into the death. A post mortem examination is due to be held in Sheffield on Friday.

The incident, early on Thursday, led to the closure of an eight-mile stretch of the M1 between junctions 26 and 27 for about eight hours.

Part of the M1 was shut for eight hours following the incident

Mr Jenkins died en-route to the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, police said.

A police spokeswoman said: "As a result of information received from another force, South Yorkshire officers made inquires at an address in Thorne.

"Shortly after midnight a man left the address and drove off at speed.

"Police officers pursued the vehicle southbound on the M1 bringing it to a halt using standard road policing tactics, between junctions 27 and 26.

"The man was in possession of a firearm. Officers fired a baton round at the man, who then turned the firearm at himself."