Hunt for killer McLoughlin sparks airport alert

Detectives want to question Ian John McLoughlin about the murder

Ports and airports have been put on alert by police hunting a double killer wanted in connection with a fatal stabbing.

The search for 55-year-old Ian John McLoughlin follows the death of Graham Buck, 66, in a village in Hertfordshire on Saturday.

Mr Buck died intervening in a robbery two doors from his home.

A convicted murderer, McLoughlin was on day release from Category D HMP Spring Hill when Mr Buck was killed.

McLoughlin had served 22 years of a minimum 25-year sentence for murder, police said.

Another man hurt in the suspected robbery - in which thousands of pounds were stolen - has been released from hospital and is currently in what police described as a "place of safety".

Police said they had found a number of "items of interest" at the crime scene but were unable yet to state whether the murder weapon was among them.

It was unclear whether McLoughlin was armed, police said.

'Heavy drinker'

Officers said McLoughlin might have left Hertfordshire and confirmed their search had "gone nationwide with ports authorities, police forces, airports across the UK all being notified and put on alert".

McLoughlin is known to be a heavy drinker and police have appealed to owners of guest houses, hotels and pubs to be "vigilant".

Det Ch Supt Jeff Hill said Mr Buck had received "fatal stab wounds" and police were treating the death as murder.

Mr Hill said McLoughlin was "a violent man".

He is described as white, about 6ft (1.8m) tall, with straight, greying, collar-length hair and of average build.

He is believed to have been wearing sunglasses, blue jeans or three-quarter length trousers and a dark blue, light blue and white checked short-sleeved shirt with a button-down collar.

McLoughlin was convicted of the murder of of 56-year-old Peter Halls, from Brighton, in 1992. He was also jailed for manslaughter in 1983, following the death of 49-year-old Len Delgatty, from Stoke Newington, in north London.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts has been urged to contact police or Crimestoppers.