Four held in Manchester pub shooting probe

Four people have been arrested over the fatal shooting of a man at a birthday party being held at a pub in Greater Manchester.

The 23-year-old victim, named locally as Mark Short, died when a masked gunman opened fire in the Cotton Tree Inn in Droylsden on Friday.

Police said a 34-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder.

A 52-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Two other men, aged 18 and 21, are being questioned on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Between 20 and 30 people are thought to have been in the pub when the gunman opened fire at 23:50 BST.

The victim died at the scene. A post-mortem examination found he died from a gunshot wound to the neck.

Three other men, aged in their 20s, were injured and remain in hospital.

Police said the gunman, who was wearing a balaclava, escaped in a Ford Focus which is believed to have had two people inside.

It was later found abandoned and alight on Ellison Close, Hattersley.

Det Ch Insp Denise Worth, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Mark was a young man who was tragically shot dead while in a pub with family and friends and our thoughts are with his loved ones who have, understandably, been left devastated.

"We remain in the very early stages of our investigation and I continue to appeal to anyone with information about the gunman, his accomplices or conspirators to contact us in absolute confidence."