Man shot dead in parked car in Wythenshawe

Mr Taylor's family has urged witnesses to come forward to police

A man has been shot dead while sitting in a parked car in south Manchester.

Ian Taylor, 44, was a passenger in the Citroen on Floatshall Road in Baguley, Wythenshawe, on Monday night when the shots were fired.

Officers were called to the scene by paramedics at about 2315 BST and the victim was taken to hospital, but died shortly afterwards.

A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently being questioned.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have sealed off the area for forensic investigations and officers remained in the area on Tuesday.

In a statement, Mr Taylor's four sisters described him as a "friendly character" who was well-liked within the community.

Driver uninjured

"He was a family man who in the past had had his problems, but he had worked hard to overcome them," they said.

"We are completely devastated at losing Ian in such tragic circumstances and we would urge anyone who knows anything about who killed Ian to call the police."

Police remained at the scene on Tuesday

Mr Taylor, who was known to police, was a passenger in a Citroen car that had been driven by another man. The driver was uninjured.

Ch Supt Rob Potts said such shootings were rare in Baguley and it was being treated as an isolated incident.

He added that experienced detectives from the major incident team were working hard to identify the killer and exploring a number of different leads.

'Report gossip'

"As the investigation remains at an early stage, it would not be helpful or appropriate to speculate about motive," he said.

"Rumour and gossip do not solve murders, but if people tell police what they have heard or know, it could provide the key to finding the offender."

One woman, who lives nearby, told the BBC: "I heard a really loud bang and I thought it didn't sound like a firework like normally.

"It was only about half an hour later when I got up and the place was absolutely flooded with police."

A local man, who did not give his name, said he was "astounded" that a man had been shot dead in his street.

"People always say, 'It doesn't happen around here' [but] it can happen anywhere, it proves it," he said.

"I don't know what the world's coming to."