Billy McNicholl: Victim in Ipswich murder investigation was killed on Christmas Day, police believe

• Billy McNicholl's body was not found until a week after he is believed to have been killed, as ITV News Anglia's Tanya Mercer reports.

A man at the centre of a murder investigation was killed on Christmas Day and lay dead in his home for a week before being found, police believe.

William McNicholl, 63, known as Billy, was last seen on 23 December by a friend and was last active on social media on Christmas Day, when he posted a photo of his lunch.

He was found at a property in Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich, on New Year's Day after friends concerned about not hearing from him for several days raised the alarm.

A post-mortem examination found he died from a single stab wound and multiple head injuries.

Suffolk Police said it was not clear where he was for the Christmas dinner or if he was eating alone, but it is most likely he died on the afternoon of Christmas Day, said the detective leading the investigation.

Det Sgt Mike Brown said: "We're really interested to know his movements or any visitors he had at his address, obviously within that time period but specifically around the 25th of December.

"Quite importantly, the address is on Hawthorn Drive; it's quite a busy thoroughfare for Ipswich. So anybody that was driving on Christmas Day, especially after lunch in the afternoon, who has dashcam footage, we're really interested to speak to them."

Mr McNicholl lived alone with his dog Leo, who was found shut in a bedroom, with police assuming he had been alone for a week. The dog was unhurt and is now being cared for by family.

Police confirmed there was no sign of a break-in and therefore believe the attacker or attackers were associated with or known to the victim.

No suspects have so far been identified.

Neighbour Phillip Shaw described Mr McNicholl as "a very nice guy, very friendly, very talkative".

"We're quite shocked by the incident. I knew Billy in passing, walking up and down here. He was always with his little dog," he said. "He would always be friendly to everybody."

Tracey Englefield, who has lived in the Chantry area of Ipswich for 10 years, said events had "shocked" the community.

"Murder: it's a strong word to think on when you are a family living so close by," she added.

• The Chantry community is in shock following news of the murder inquiry, say locals

Officers and forensic teams remain at the scene and police are continuing to carry out house-to-house inquiries and scouring CCTV footage.

They are continuing to appeal for anyone with information or who saw suspicious activity between Tuesday 24 December and Wednesday 1 January to come forward.

Mr McNicholl's family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money towards his funeral costs to "offer him the dignity in his send-off that he did not get in his passing".

The appeal has so far raised £605 of its £4,500 target.

A tribute described Mr McNicholl as "one of Ipswich’s most kind, funny, complex and unique characters".

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