Man shot dead in Bolton named as Michael James Blake

Detectives have cordoned off a section of Manchester Road and a crime scene tent has been set up since the early hours of Friday morning.

Michael James Blake, 28, was rushed to hospital hospital after being attacked at 11.10 on Thursday night but died later.

ITV Granada's Adam McClean is live at the police press conference:

Police confirmed on Friday morning that he has now died.

According to witnesses, the busy road is closed between Bolton Road and Church Street.

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed the road is closed.

The police tent is located at the front of a property on Manchester Road.

The man, 28, is known by the nickname Blakey, and died after he answered a knock at the door of his home in Westhoughton, Bolton, and went off with another man in a light-coloured van.

Some ten or 15 minutes later, Blakey was discovered with fatal gunshot injuries in a ginnel beside the house on Manchester Road just after 11pm on Thursday.

As yet police are unclear where the victim went in the van and how he ended up in the ginnel beside his home with serious injuries.

Police will hold a press conference later where they will appeal for the public for help, particularly from motorists on the busy A6 through Westhoughton.

The road will have been busy despite the time of night and detectives want to speak to anyone who had information about the murder and the light-coloured van which departed with the victim on board.

One resident said they had heard the victim was shot in the head.

They said he lived locally with his partner and young daughter from a previous relationship.

His partner and mother were by his bedside when he passed away just after 10am today.

Tributes have been paid to the 28-year-old victim, who is a man who went by the nickname of Blakey. Dozens of people have paid tribute to him on social media.