Police send retribution warnings to 'Mr Big' associates
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Version 0 of 1. Police have written to several close associates of the Salford criminal Paul Massey, who was shot dead in what police believe was a targeted killing, warning them not to take reprisals. The “retribution warnings” are aimed at preventing a revenge attack, after Massey was shot outside his home on Sunday evening. Massey was known as “Mr Big” in Salford and served a long stint in prison for a stabbing, but said he had tried to turn his life around in recent years. A close friend told the Guardian earlier this week that he had been mediating between two rival gangs at the time of his death, and that he “may have come unstuck”. He also said Massey’s associates believed they knew who ordered his killing. Detectives believe Massey was killed in a targeted “hit” but Greater Manchester police said Massey was not mediating on behalf of the police. It is understood that the retribution warnings are similar in tone to “Osman warnings”, which police occasionally issue when they believe someone’s life is in danger. Massey was the recipient of two Osman warnings himself. According to a close friend, he received one recently, and one when he ran to be mayor of Salford in 2012. Greater Manchester police said they could not comment on operational matters. The force has previously described the suspect as white, slim and wearing military-style trousers with a green or khaki top. His face was covered and he was wearing a hat, possibly fisherman-style. Massey predicted he could be “killed anytime” in an interview in 1998. Police have said there is no intelligence to suggest that Massey’s shooting was linked to any of the 14 other shootings that have taken place in Manchester in recent months. Security has been increased in Salford since the attack and police have stressed that any witnesses who come forward will be granted full anonymity. |