Family Tribute to Stockport Murder Victim

The family of a man who was found shot and decapitated in Greater Manchester have paid tribute to a ``cheeky and loveable character''.

32-year-old John Grainger, was discovered in Wellington Street in Stockport, at 5.10am on Thursday as crews put out a fire on a verge. His head was found close by.

In a statement his family said: ``John was a cheeky and loveable character who was a fantastic brother and uncle to his niece and nephews.
``He wanted to become a dad one day and was looking forward to what the future held. John loved football and was an avid fan of Manchester United.''

A post mortem examination has revealed John Grainger died from a blunt force head injury and a shotgun blast to the head.

It is believed his head was cut off after he died.

Two men, aged 29 and 31, who had been arrested on suspicion of possessing shotgun cartridges prior to the discovery of the body were later arrested on suspicion of murder. They remain in police custody for questioning.

Superintendent Pete Matthews from Greater Manchester Police said: “We have a team of dedicated detectives who are working hard to establish the exact circumstances surrounding John's death, so we can provide his family with some much-needed answers.”

He added: “People in the community are in shock at what has happened and I would encourage anyone with any information to contact the police.”

The crime scene in the town centre, near Stockport Magistrates' Court, was cordoned off as forensics officers scoured the area.

Police said they understood a lot of rumours were circulating but said it would be wrong to speculate and insisted they were keeping an open mind.