Most wanted ‘lured officers to their deaths’

One of England’s most wanted men is believed to have lured two unarmed constables to their deaths.

Greater Manchester chief constable Peter Fahy said Dale Cregan is thought to have made a bogus burglary report then attacked the officers, opening fire with a gun and a grenade.

Fahy named the “brave” officers as Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23.

“It would appear Cregan has deliberately done this in an act of cold-blooded murder,” he said, adding that Cregan’s motive for the attack was “impossible to fathom”.

After the attack, the fugitive, already wanted in connection with separate gun and grenade attacks that killed a father and son, gave himself up at Hyde police station in Greater Manchester.

Fahy paid tribute to Hughes, describing her as a “chatterbox” and a “great bobby” who was “always smiling”.

He said Bone was a “calm, gentle woman”, an “excellent bobby” and had been in the middle of planning her wedding.

Fahy , at a press conference at GMP headquarters, said the force was “absolutely devastated” by the shootings: “We are all shocked by what happened this morning.”

He said there was nothing in the burglary report to suggest armed police would be required.

But as PCs Bone and Hughes arrived, Cregan attacked.

Fahy said he believed Cregan had been “protected by a criminal conspiracy to harbour him”, adding that the force was “fully determined” to investigate that conspiracy and bring those involved “to book”.

He said he was not aware that Cregan had contacted police at any time during their manhunt or made any threats to officers.

But he added that police had been looking at a range of scenarios including Cregan trying to kill other people as a result of the gangland feud he was involved in.

He said there was “concern” that he might target police officers.

Eyewitnesses said a hail of bullets was fired and a grenade was used during the attack in Hattersley shortly before 11am. One of the officers died at the scene. The second was critically injured and died later.

Cregan, who only has one eye, had been the subject of a huge manhunt after the murders of David Short, 46, and his son Mark, 23. A £50,000 (€62,250) reward had been offered for information leading to his arrest.

Short was killed at his home on Folkestone Rd East, Clayton, Manchester, on Aug 10, while Mark had been gunned down at the Cotton Tree pub in nearby Droylsden, on May 25.

Four men have already been charged in connection with Mark Short’s murder and are due to enter pleas at Manchester Crown Court in November.

This month, a 33-year-old man appeared at Manchester Crown Court charged with the gun and grenade murder of David Short.

David Cameron, the British prime minister, said the killing of two police officers was “a shocking reminder of the debt we owe to those who put themselves in danger to keep us safe and secure”.

The scene of the attack was cordoned off and a fleet of vans and ambulances were parked at the top of the road as a helicopter hovered overhead. Traffic was blocked from coming on to the estate up to almost a kilometre away. A Royal Logistic Corps bomb disposal vehicle was inside the cordon.