Man no longer suspect in woman's murder, police say

A man arrested on suspicion of murder after the fatal stabbing of a woman in Manchester is no longer being treated as a suspect, police have said.

Alisha Samuels, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene after officers were called to reports of a disturbance on Dorking Avenue in Newton Heath at about 02:00 BST on Thursday.

Greater Manchester Police said the 25-year-old man had been released on police bail pending further inquiries into other matters.

Detectives said their investigation remained active and that they were continuing to seek other people believed to have been involved in the incident.

Det Chief Insp Justin Bryant, the senior investigating officer, said: "While a man has been released on police bail as our enquiries continue, our investigation remains very much active.

"We are relentlessly pursuing those responsible for Alisha's death and are continuing to seek those outstanding individuals believed to have been involved in this incident."

Det Chief Insp Justin Bryant urged people not to speculate about the circumstances of Ms Samuels' death, saying misinformation could hinder the investigation and cause further distress to her family.

He also appealed for anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it might seem, to contact police, saying it could help investigators identify those involved and secure justice for Ms Samuels.

Another man aged 61 and a woman aged 38 were also arrested on Thursday on suspicion of assisting an offender.

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