Extra patrols amid murder probe

Sana Ali, 17, died in hospital after she was found with multiple knife wounds to her body in an upstairs bedroom at her home in Bury, Greater Manchester.

Detective chief inspector Keith Dillon, who is leading the hunt for her killer, said: "Extra patrols will be put in place in the local area over the coming days to reassure the community and encourage them to come forward and tell us what they know."

The married teenager, who was two months pregnant with her first child, was rushed to hospital but died of her injuries along with the foetus. Murder squad detectives said she was found in a first floor bedroom at the two-storey detached house in Throstle Grove at around 4.15pm on Friday.

Det Ch Ins Dillon said Miss Ali's sister-in-law had called the ambulance service after finding her collapsed and alone in the house.

He added: "She was taken to Fairfield Hospital accident & emergency unit. There they worked on her for quite some time, but unfortunately she died. The indications are she has died from knife injuries. She has a number of injuries. It does look to be a violent attack."

Police continued to examine the house on Saturday but said there was no sign of a forced entry and nothing appeared to have been stolen.

A Home Office post-mortem examination was carried out but there has been no formal announcement of the cause of Ms Ali's death. Det Ch Ins Dillon said detectives were keeping an open mind about the motive for her killing.

He said: "We are treating this as a murder inquiry, but have a complete open mind at this moment in time, as it is very early on. Until we have more information I would just like to make a general appeal for anyone with information to come forward. This is a nice quiet residential area and I realise that it will have been a shock for those living here to realise what has happened."

Ms Ali lived with her 24-year-old husband, his brother and their parents. Her husband's parents are currently on holiday overseas. Det Ch Ins Dillon, who is leading the murder hunt, said no one had been arrested in connection with the killings, but the girl's close family had been questioned.