Samuel Diatta: Family in no-man's land over shop disturbance death

Téba Diatta said she was "blessed" to have Samuel Diatta as her brother

The family of a man who died after a disturbance at a jewellers say they are still waiting to find out what led to his death more than two weeks later.

Samuel Diatta died in hospital after police were called to Mappin and Webb, in Coney Street, York, on 26 July.

His sister Téba Diatta said the family are "stuck in limbo" waiting to say goodbye to him.

An investigation is taking place into the circumstances of Mr Diatta's death, North Yorkshire Police said.

The force said Mr Diatta, 39, was involved in "an altercation with a member of security" at the shop before being restrained by a member of staff and three members of the public.

When police arrived at the shop at about 16:45 BST he was found to be unresponsive and taken to hospital where he later died.

A police spokesperson said four people arrested in connection with the incident have been released on bail. The force has not said what they were arrested on suspicion of.

They added that officers had "not found any evidence suggestive that this was a robbery".

• Men bailed after jewellers disturbance death

Ms Diatta said the family had still not been told the exact circumstances of Mr Diatta's death because of the ongoing investigation.

She said: "We are stuck in limbo and it's really hard when you have lost somebody, because you want to say goodbye but we have not been able to do so. We are in a no-man's land."

Samuel Diatta's family said they are "stuck in limbo" waiting to say goodbye to him

Ms Diatta said her brother died two days before their mother's 80th birthday and she believes he may have been at the jewellers to buy a present.

"He was a lovely, kind, sympathetic, loyal person and I was very blessed to have him as a brother for 39 years," she said.

"Someone said about Sam, I think this sums him up, that he was always so smiley. He was smiley Sam."

North Yorkshire Police said the force is pursuing a number of lines of investigation and it may take several weeks to reach a conclusion.