New arrest in Aya Hachem murder probe

The man, aged 32 and from Manchester, was arrested yesterday (Saturday) in London on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

He remains in police custody.

Aya was shot in broad daylight on Sunday, May 17 as she was out shopping close to the Lidl supermarket on King Street in Blackburn.

Fifteen people were arrested in the days after her death, with five men and a woman charged; two men bailed pending further enquiries; six people – three men and three women – released under investigation and one man released without charge.

Three further people were arrested last week.

They are a man aged 32 and from Coventry arrested on suspicion of murder; a woman, also aged 32 and from Coventry, detained on suspicion of assisting an offender and a woman aged 28 and from Manchester arrested on suspicion of murder.

All three have since been released under investigation.

The arrest in London brings the total number of people detained as part of this investigation to 19.

Police continue to remind people that information or video footage in relation to this inquiry can still be sent via the Major Incident Public Portal at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/0401020120E05-PO1

Anybody with any other information can contact us on 101, quoting log number 0412 of May 18th, or anonymously via independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.