Residents of a Wigan street have spoken of their shock after a man died following a suspected assault. Brian Cunliffe, 56, died at Salford Royal Hospital on Sunday (August 2) after an incident on Bryn Street in the Ince area.
Incident details
The North West Ambulance Service was called to the scene at around 10:30pm on Friday (July 31) to an 'ongoing disturbance' with a man who had 'blood coming from his face'. Greater Manchester Police, who also attended, said the victim 'refused medical care', saying he 'did not remember how he got his injuries' and would take himself to hospital 'in the morning'.
Two men, one aged in his 50s and another in his 30s, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are being questioned by detectives. Police believe the victim and suspects knew each other.
Residents' reactions
Officers remained at the scene on Monday (August 3), with residents reporting a constant police presence over the weekend. One man said: "I got back late on Friday and the police were here, and have been ever since. Forensics officers were going in and out of the property."
He added: "No-one will tell us anything. I think they should be more forthcoming with information. There's kids that play on this street, and someone's been killed."
Another woman said she hadn't heard any 'screaming or shouting' on Friday night, adding: "Whatever happened didn't happen on the street. We saw police and ambulances come but we were told the man said he was fine. Police have been back and forth ever since."
A nearby couple said Cunliffe had only lived in the area 'for a few weeks'. They said: "We saw him going out on his bike, he would come over and say hello to us. It was all quiet on Friday night, we never heard anything. It wasn't until Saturday morning that we realised anything had happened. It was a shock and it was a proper shock finding out who it was. He was the last person I thought it would be."
