DETAILS of a suspect in the Saheel Ahmed murder inquiry have been circulated to all ports.

Detectives hunting Naeem Majid Butt, 37, from Johnston Street, Blackburn, said they believed he may try and travel to Pakistan.

After taking the ‘unusual step’ of releasing a picture of the wanted man, Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter, leading the investigation, said it was now an ‘old-fashioned manhunt’.

He said: “We fear he may try and go abroad, possibly Pakistan where he was born.

“We need to find and locate him for several reasons. For the benefit of the family of Saheel Ahmed, for evidence gathering purposes and to give him the chance to speak to us, and for public safety reasons.

“This was a very violent, vicious attack committed by somebody involving weapons. We have someone at large who we are yet to trace, and we are yet to find a weapon.”

Det Supt Hunter said Mr Butt’s distinctive Cobra tattoo on his wrist was easily identifiable, but that members of the public should be ‘sensible and cautious’ and not approach him.

A team of officers from the Force Major Investigation Unit are currently based in Edinburgh where they are receiving ‘fantastic co-operation’ from the Lothian and Borders police force.

Police believe Mr Butt may have already made an attempt to leave the UK via an unnamed airport, but he is still thought to be in Edinburgh.

The city is familiar to him because his estranged wife’s family live there and Mr Butt spent a period of time in the Scottish capital when he first came to the UK from Pakistan in early 2004, police said.

Det Supt Hunter said the ‘majority’ of Mr Butt’s immediate family in Blackburn had been ‘supportive and co-operative’ with the investigation and were ‘absolutely shocked’ by events.

On Friday, an inquest into 24-year-old telephone consultant Mr Ahmed’s death was opened an adjourned.

The inquest heard the cause of death was multiple stab wounds and incise wounds to the neck.

Mr Ahmed’s body was found in an alleyway near Warrington Street, Little Harwood.