Police launch murder probe

INVESTIGATION . . . on Lees New Road

A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found in Oldham.

The victim, formally identified as 45-year-old Jonathon Herd, had suffered multiple stab wounds.

He died at the scene in a property on Lees New Road on Sunday.

As the Chronicle reported yesterday, Greater Manchester Police initially said they were unable to say if the death was suspicious, and a post-mortem examination would have to be carried out.

But now they have revealed it is a murder investigation. Detectives believe offenders entered the flat, inflicted fatal wounds and fled.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody for questioning.

The drama unfolded when police received a call from the North West Ambulance Service saying the body of a man had been found at the property at 12.20pm on Sunday.

Forensic investigators dressed in white overalls sealed off the area, including flats and land near a junction at Wildmoor Avenue, to carry out a search with their work continuing into the night. Detectives are now appealing for the public to come forward with information. Detective Inspector Carl Jones, of GMP's Major Incident Team, said: "This is a tragic set of circumstances where people have gone into Jonathon's home before subjecting him to a brutal and ultimately fatal attack.

"Only a day has passed since this unfolded and my thoughts are with his family, who are being supported by specially trained officers at this difficult time.

"This has been a fast moving enquiry and while we have one man in custody, our investigation continues.

"This happened sometime between 8pm on Saturday and 11am on Sunday on a residential street when people may have been around and seen something or heard something.

"Every piece of information we receive is vital in piecing together what has happened so if you were in the area at the time or saw anybody acting suspiciously in the hours leading up to this attack taking place, then please contact us.

"We will always treat information with the strictest of confidence and you can pass information to us anonymously but please, do it as a matter of urgency."

Anyone with information should call police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555 111.