PC homicide accused due in court
A man is due in court charged with the homicides of two police officers and two other men in Greater Manchester.
PC Fiona Bone, 32, and her colleague PC Nicola Hughes, 23, suffered fatal injuries in a gun and grenade attack in Mottram, Tameside, on Tuesday.
Dale Cregan is accused of their homicide. He is also charged with homicideing Mark Short and his father David, in two separate attacks earlier this year.
The 29-year-old also faces four charges of attempted homicide.
Police have been given more time to question a second man, Stephen Garvey, 28, who was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit homicide. This is due to expire at 09:15 BST on Saturday.
Mr Cregan is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates' court at 10:00 BST.
'Complex investigation'Mark Short, 23, died from a gunshot wound to the neck after a shooting in the Cotton Tree Inn in Droylsden, Greater Manchester, on 25 May.
His father David, 46, was found dead at a house in Folkestone Road, East, Clayton, Greater Manchester, on 10 August after police were called following reports of gunshots.
Three of the four attempted homicide charges relate to the pub shooting. The fourth relates to the attack in Clayton.
At a news conference on Thursday, Nazir Afzal, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said he had authorised Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to bring the charges.
"The tragic events this week in which Police Constables Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes lost their lives in the line of duty have shocked and appalled the whole country," he said.
Sir Peter Fahy, GMP Chief Constable, described the inquiry as a "complex investigation".
He renewed police appeals for anyone with information to contact detectives, calling on them "to look at their conscience and come forward".
Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North-West of England, Nazir Afzal, announces the charges
Earlier on Thursday, Sir Peter laid flowers at the scene in Mottram where the officers were fatally injured.
He paid tribute to them calling them "two wonderful human beings, two very dedicated officers" who left behind "two very proud families obviously devastated by their loss".
He added the families had asked him to pass on their "huge appreciation" for the massive show of public support.
An online campaign has been started by police officers around the country offering to work for GMP on the day of the dead officers' funerals to allow all their GMP colleagues to attend the services.
On Wednesday, GMP announced more than 25,000 people had left condolence messages on their website.
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old man has been bailed by Merseyside Police pending further enquiries, after an offensive Facebook page went online within hours of the deaths of the PCs.
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