Dale Cregan charged over murders of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes

Dale Cregan has been charged with the murders of two police officers in a gun and grenade attack, police said.

The 29-year-old is also accused of killing father and son David and Mark Short in separate incidents earlier this year.

In addition, Cregan faces four charges of attempted murder.

The deaths of PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone during a bogus burglary call in Hattersley, Greater Manchester, on Tuesday shocked the nation and has elicited an outpouring of sympathy across the country.

have already been charged in connection with that attack.

On Friday 25th May, police were called to the Cotton Tree Inn on Market Street after a gunman had entered and fired shots.

Officers attended and discovered 23-year-old Mark Short, had been fatally shot. Three other men were also shot and injured.

A post-mortem concluded Mark Short died from a gunshot wound to the neck.

Damian Gorman, Luke Livesey, Ryan Hadfield and Matthew James have all previously been charged with murder.

Three other men and a woman arrested on suspicion of the murder of Mark Short have been bailed until October 2012 pending further inquiries.

On Friday 10th August, the body of David Short, 46, Mark Short's father was found at a house on Folkestone Road East in Clayton after police were called following reports of gunshots. There had also been a grenade explosion.

Less than ten minutes later, there was another grenade explosion outside a house on Luke Road in Droylsden, although no-one was injured during this incident.

Anthony Wilkinson and Jermaine Ward have already been charged in connection with both these attacks.

Three other men arrested on suspicion of the murder of David Short have been bailed until October 2012 pending further inquiries.

Cregan has also been charged with the attempted murders of of Michael Belcher, Ryan Pridding and John Short on 25th May and Sharon Hark on 10th August.