Police investigating the fatal stabbing of a man in Oldham town centre in the early hours of Saturday morning have arrested a murder suspect in the Ipswich area of Suffolk overnight.
A 31-year-old man from Rochdale was detained with support from officers from Suffolk Constabulary overnight and he is expected to arrive at a Greater Manchester custody site shortly for questioning.Investigators believe the suspect was known to the victim and are not looking for anyone else at this time.
They remain keen, however, to hear from anyone who may have been in Oldham town centre late on Friday night and into the early hours of Saturday morning.
The arrest is the second one made by detectives, after a man in his 30s was previously detained and has since been eliminated from the inquiry after being questioned on suspicion of murder.
The Major Incident Team has been conducting a number of fast-paced and extensive lines of inquiry since it was reported to us by NWAS at around 4.20am on Saturday 28 May that a man had suffered serious suspected stab wounds on Union Street.
The man was taken to hospital in a critical condition before he was sadly pronounced dead on arrival.
While formal identification has not yet taken place, we believe the victim is a man in his 40s from Oldham and that he suffered several stab wounds – including fatally to the chest.
Specially-trained officers are continuing to work to support the man’s family at this devastating time.
A cordon remains in place on Union Street in Oldham town centre while evidence is still being gathered from the scene.
Detective Superintendent Simon Hurst said: “This is an extensive and complex investigation that has moved at some pace in the last 24 hours as our team of detectives continue to piece together the circumstances that has led to a man so tragically losing his life after a night out.
“We’ve spoken to some key witnesses so far who have been assisting us with our enquiries, and this has led to us arresting a local man who we believe had travelled down to the Ipswich area after this incident, before now being detained and brought back up to Greater Manchester.
“At this stage we are not looking for anybody else in connection to this fatal incident, but I do want anybody who has seen or heard anything that could be of importance to contact us so that we can ensure that all available lines of inquiry continue to be followed so that the man responsible is brought to justice.”
