Bolton water searched for gun used to kill Dillon Hull

Dillon Hull was shot twice in the head outside his home in Bolton

Detectives in Bolton have carried out a new search for a weapon used to kill a five-year-old boy 13 years ago.

Dillon Hull died instantly after being shot twice in the head by gunman Paul Seddon outside his home in Deane, Bolton, in August 1997.

Seddon, who denied murder, was jailed for life in 1998 and told he would serve at least 25 years.

Police searched an area of water for the weapon on Wednesday following a tip-off, but nothing was found.

Dillon's murder shocked Greater Manchester in 1997 when he became one of the youngest victims of a drugs feud in the region.

Seddon had been lying in wait outside the house in order to shoot his step-father, John Bates.

It is right that we should take this claim seriously and search this location Martin Bottomley, Cold Case Unit

Mr Bates, who the court heard was a drug dealer, had refused to co-operate with a rival drugs gang.

Preston Crown Court heard that Seddon was allegedly paid £5,000 to carry out the killing, and that Dillon was not the intended target.

Detectives never recovered the weapon used to murder the youngster but were recently alerted to its possible location.

Martin Bottomley, head of Greater Manchester Police's Cold Case Review Unit, said: "We have received some new information about the whereabouts of the weapon used to murder five-year-old Dillon Hull in 1997.

"Although it has been 13 years since Dillon was killed and a man convicted of his murder, the case has never been closed as the gun used has never been found and we will always act on new information.

"Greater Manchester Police is committed to finding any guns, no matter where they may be hidden, so they cannot be used to hurt anyone else.

"So it is right that we should take this claim seriously and search this location."