Appeal to find dead bride's cousin

The woman had been getting ready for her wedding

Police are issuing appeals across the UK for help to find the cousin of a bride found dead hours before her wedding.

Sahda Bibi, 21, was discovered on the floor of a bedroom at a house in Birmingham at 1400 GMT on Saturday.

A post-mortem examination revealed she had suffered 14 stab wounds to her head, neck and shoulders in the attack at the house in Wright Road, Saltley.

Detectives are appealing for help to trace 37-year-old Rafaquat Hussain from Camberley in Surrey.

Police believe Mr Hussein may leave the country

He drove off from the house in Birmingham in a BMW and is believed to be trying to leave the country.

Ms Bibi's father Sadqar Khan told Midlands Today neither he nor his daughter were in trouble with anyone and that he had no idea why his daughter was killed.

"I really don't know," he said.

"Truly to God I can say I don't know."

Acting superintendent Laurie Dyer appealed for information concerning Mr Hussain's whereabouts.

"We've issued descriptions of the man to ports around the UK and we are liaising with our colleagues in other forces."

He said the woman had been in the process of getting ready for her wedding when she was attacked.

Groom wounded

"It was ascertained that she had been subjected to a knife attack and from inquiries made it is strongly believed that a male relative was responsible for her death," he said.

A short time later, the groom was also found wounded in the garden of the house.

It is understood the 28-year-old, from Barnsley, tried to stop the attacker escaping and was injured in the process.

Police say that they have not yet established a motive for the killing.