Fear in neighbourhood as murder squad cops investigate death on 'drugs walk'

Residents have described how they have been left in fear as police launch a murder investigation following the death of a man at a house in Greater Manchester.

Responding to reports of a concern for welfare, police went to a maisonette in Farnworth on Tuesday night and found a 37-year-old man dead inside. A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and released on bail pending further enquiries.

Today (Thursday) police scene of crime officers remained at the property on Barton Walk in Farnworth as detectives carried out house-to-house enquiries on nearby Churchside. Patrols have been stepped up in the area and Greater Manchester Police has referred the case to its own professional standards department because of 'previous contact' with the dead man, who has not been named.

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One resident who lives near the home said he noticed activity on Barton Walk at all hours, with men in their 20s coming and going.

Another said: "It's sad. We're seeing more and more murders these days. A lot more. I don't want anything to do with what goes on there but it scares me. We all are around here. Since this happened, I don't feel safe.

"I noticed the police cars and forensics here around 7 or 8pm. But I didn't see or hear anything that happened. You don't want to see something like that on your doorstep. I don't know the person or anything like that but it's scared the crap out of me. There's always been trouble down there but this is the worst.

"You see people coming and going all the time. It's obviously drug dealing. I keep myself to myself here but there's always drug dealing going on there and there's a lot of noise sometimes from the early