A POLICE watchdog is to carry out an independent investigation after the machine-gun death of a shop worker.

Nasar Hussain, 30, was shot six times by a masked gunman with a Mach-10 submachine pistol in a Salford store.

Minutes before Mr Hussain was shot the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) had tipped off Greater Manchester Police that there was going to be a robbery at the mini supermarket in Eccles.

But when GMP officers from an armed response team arrived at the store they found Mr Hussain dying behind the counter.

It is understood GMP responded rapidly to the intelligence but while en route received a message that there had been a shooting at the premises.

It is also believed that GMP was given one location to go to by SOCA but were then redirected to the shop.

Now the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is to launch its own inquiry and will scrutinize the sharing of information between GMP and SOCA.

In a statement the IPCC said: "The Independent Police Complaints Commission has started an independent investigation following the murder of Nasar Hussain in Salford on Saturday July 4.

"The independent investigation will look at what information was known by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and Greater Manchester Police in the days leading up to the murder and whether either organisation could have been done anything to prevent it."

Brutal

IPCC Commissioner Naseem Malik said: "This was brutal murder and I would like to send my sympathy to the friends and family of Nasar at this difficult time. Following the joint referral by GMP and SOCA we have decided to conduct an independent investigation to establish whether either organisation knew or could have done anything to prevent his death."

After examining information about the killing it has decided to carry out its own investigation rather than supervise one by GMP and SOCA.

The killing took place at the Brookhouse Supermarket in Brookhouse Avenue, Peel Green. It is believed Mr Hussain was not the intended target.

Both GMP and SOCA had voluntarily referred the case to the IPCC.

Mr Hussain, a Pakistani national known locally as Nazar Shazad, had lived in Salford for six months.

It is understood SOCA were investigating crime in another part of the country when they picked up intelligence about the shop being a target for crime.

On Saturday Ryan Manning, 19, of Bird Street, Higher Ince, appeared before Manchester Magistrates' Court charged with the murder of Mr Hussain and was remanded in custody.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder was bailed until today.

Nine men and two women arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder have been bailed until August 17 pending further inquiries.

A man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was released without charge.