Michael Blake shooting: Westhoughton man 'a wonderful dad'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-37889382

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A man shot and left to die in an alley after answering his door was a "wonderful father", his family said.

Michael Blake, 28, died in hospital after neighbours found him near his Manchester Road home in Westhoughton, Bolton, on Thursday night.

Police said he had left his home "willingly" with a man in a light-coloured van, but there appeared to be "no motive" for the killing.

Mr Blake's family said he "would do anything for anyone".

"Michael was a wonderful son, brother, friend and father," they said in a statement.

"He was always happy and smiling, and hardly ever gave his mother any reason to worry.

"He was always hard working and trying to better himself."

Mr Blake had recently bought a house with his girlfriend, and was "looking forward to settling down for family life", his family continued.

"We are all devastated by the way Michael has been cruelly taken from us and would like to appeal for anyone with any information to come forward and speak to the police."

Det Supt Jon Chadwick, of Greater Manchester Police, said he believed those responsible had meant to kill Mr Blake.

"If you're going to [shoot someone in the head], you're not trying to warn them, you know they are going to die," he said.

Mr Blake was known to police, but "not recently, and certainly not for any major crime," he said.

"We don't know why Michael was killed and we are still in the early stages of our investigation. So we really need the public's help."