THE five-year-old child gunned down in a Bolton street was a Blackburn schoolboy until a few months ago.

And today heartbroken relatives of shooting victim Dillon Hull spoke of their grief and disbelief at the death of "a little angel".

Dillon, who was killed in what police believe could have been a drugs-related revenge attack, was a pupil at Longshaw County Primary School.

He lived in Mosley Street and Walsh Street near Blackburn Royal Infirmary with his mother Jane and stepfather John Bates before moving to Bolton just before Christmas.

Dillon died on the pavement yards from his new home in Bolton with two bullets to the head in a shooting which left Mr Bates, 28, with a stomach wound.

Dillon's mother had given birth to a baby boy just three weeks ago.

Today his great-grandparents, Victor and Evelyn Procter, of Peel Close, Blackburn, spoke of the youngster who used to drop in to see them after finishing school nearby.

Victor said: "He was the brightest little lad you could ever wish to meet. I just can't believe it.

"I don't think this bloke meant to kill him but I think he has been caught in the crossfire. I can't see a bloke shooting a kid." Victor and Evelyn said Dillon never knew his real father, who disappeared a long time ago, and looked on John Bates as his natural father.

A tearful Evelyn added: "It's terrible. John has been with Jane a long time and he idolised that child, and Dillon idolised him."

One of Jane's aunties from Blackburn, who did not want to be named, said her niece would never get over the tragedy.

She said: "He was a little angel. A perfect little boy and so beautiful.

"The last time I spoke to Jane was about three weeks ago when she called to tell me she'd had a baby.

"Her partner was from Bolton and so was all his family and they wanted to live over there. She was very happy to be moving to Bolton.

"This is devastating. We'll never recover from it."

Jane's mother Glenys lives in Michigan, America, but her sister Nicola, still lives in Morecambe Road, Blackburn.

Coun Andy Kay, chairman of governors at Longshaw County Primary School, said: "It is a tragedy."

Victoria McCammon, mother of Dillon's former classmate, Toni, five, said she was shocked and saddened.

She said: "He was just an ordinary, happy five-year-old. Toni often spoke about him.

"The fact that it was drugs related makes it even more frightening. I will not let my children leave the house on their own."

Mr Bates was under armed guard in an un-named hospital today as police feared that he could be the target for another attack.

He was moved last night from the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Detective Superintendent Peter Ellis, who is leading the hunt for the lone gunman, who fled after the shooting, said: "We made a risk assessment given the circumstances and the cold-blooded nature of the shooting.

"We decided to move him to another hospital for his own safety.

"There is a strong possibility he might still be in danger."

Detectives believe there was a drugs involvement in the attack and that Mr Bates was the target.

Mr Ellis said: "I believe Dillon was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"It is very very difficult to assess the state of mind of the man we are looking for.

"He had a total disregard for human life and for who would be injured as a result of him discharging the firearm."

Jane Hull was said to be still in shock and will receive specialist bereavement counselling later today. Police spent the night interviewing witnesses who saw the gunman flee after the attack. They were studying video film from security cameras on buildings in the area in the hope that he could have been spotted as he made his escape across the busy Deane Road in the path of cars and a bus.

The killer had arrived at the scene in a yellow Metro and donned a gold motorcycle helmet, which he later threw away, before firing the shots,

He was described as white, 5ft 10ins to 6ft tall, slim, with dark brown, possibly curly, hair and was wearing a green or purple anorak, black trousers and black shoes.

Several witnesses have told police the yellow Metro had been seen circling the area near the family's home in Jauncy Street before the shooting.

A special police scientific firearms team was arriving at the scene later to carry out a search.

Forensic science officers were also to examine the family's terraced house, where it was reported a window was smashed in a shooting incident.

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