A man who shot himself after killing three women last night was a licensed holder of firearms, it emerged today.

The body of the man, named locally as taxi driver Michael Atherton, and those of the three women were found in close proximity downstairs in the semi-detached house in Greenside Avenue, Horden, Peterlee, after officers were alerted to shots being fired shortly before 11.45pm yesterday.

One of the dead women was named locally as Susan McGoldrick.

This morning at a press conference Assistant Chief Constable Michael Banks confirmed that a resident of the house held a firearms licence.

Police also confirmed that a teenage woman who suffered minor injuries escaped through an upstairs window, and there were other people in the house at the time who also survived, including a man who was initially arrested but later released without charge.

Det Supt Paul Goundry said all the deceased were related. He also revealed that police had had ``minor contact" with the family in the past.

Mr Banks said: ``I can confirm that a resident at that address was the lawful holder of shotgun and firearms licences and we cannot confirm at this stage whether any of those weapons that were lawfully held have been used in this."

Asked how many weapons were registered at that address, he said: ``At this moment in time it is my understanding that the person was licensed for three shotguns and three section-one firearms."

He said section-one firearms were a particular category of firearms which require greater authorisation than a shotgun licence.

Mr Banks said: ``This is a tragic event. We have four people who died late last night and our thoughts and feelings are with their family and friends at this moment.

``I would like to reassure our communities that the police are in control of this incident.

``At this moment, we are looking for no-one else in relation to this inquiry."

He said just before 11.45 last night a number of calls were received in the police control room that shots had been fired at 9 Greenside Avenue in Peterlee.

``Our information within those numerous messages was that several people had been shot.

``The police were dispatched to the scene and shortly after midnight, as our officers entered the house, it was discovered that a man and three women were dead in the house," he said.

``It is our belief at this stage that they died of gunshot wounds."

He said the scene had been preserved and a major investigation was under way.