Police have renewed their appeal for information as they continue to try and trace murder suspect John Belfield.
Detectives investigating the murder of Thomas Campbell have also released a new photo of the 28-year-old, dated December 2022.
It’s believed he was the ‘mastermind’ behind the brutal killing of Thomas, whose body was found by a neighbour at his home on Riverside in Mossley at around 10.40am on Saturday 3 July.
Last week, three people – including Thomas’s ex-wife – were sentenced to a total of 62 years for their involvement in his death.
The conspiracy to murder was ‘meticulously thought out’ and planned around his daily routine, GMP found during the investigation.
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Thomas Campbell. Credit: GMPThomas Campbell. Credit: GMPThomas Campbell was brutally murdered in his own home.
On the night of the attack on 2 July, Thomas was ambushed when he opened his front door, then was overpowered and assaulted before being tortured and murdered inside his own home.
An autopsy revealed he had suffered more than 61 injuries.
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Despite the sentencing of Reece Steven, 29, Stephen Cleworth, 38, and Coleen Campbell, 38, detectives are still trying to track down John Belfield, who is believed to have left the country.
Detective Inspector Mark Davis, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “We have been working tirelessly ever since Saturday 3 July 2022 to find those we suspect are responsible.
“Three people were yesterday (Wednesday 23 February 2023) sentenced to a total of 62 years for their involvement in Thomas Campbell’s death.
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“Since July, we have followed a number of lines of enquiry and through an extensive investigation continue to appeal to the public for any information about Belfield’s whereabouts.
“We know he has links to Greater Manchester and Lancashire, but we now believe that he has left the UK and could possibly be in Spain or Tenerife.
“Thomas suffered significant injuries over a period of time, and I must stress that we do not want members of the public to approach Belfield. If you become aware of his whereabouts, please do nothing more than dial 999, quoting Operation Ravensburg. He is thought to be a dangerous individual who must not be approached.
John Belfield photographed in December 2022. Credit: GMP
“It is also worth reminding members of the public and Belfield’s associates, in particular, that assisting an offender is a criminal offence any anyone convicted of this faces up to 10 years imprisonment.
“Thomas owned at least two high-value Rolex watches that have been missing from his home address ever since his death, and we ask if anyone has any information about these to let us know as they may prove to be a crucial line of enquiry.
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“Our team continue to investigate this serious and complex investigation and are following many lines of enquiry to identify all of those responsible in playing a part in his death.”
Anyone with information should contact officers, on 0161 856 6377, or using GMP’s LiveChat facility on www.gmp.police.uk or alternatively Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured image: GMP
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Body of woman found in River Mersey last year finally identified after ‘extensive’ investigation
Emily Sergeant
The body of woman who was found in the River Mersey last year has finally been identified.
Following what has been described as an ‘extensive investigation’ by Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team to determine the identity of the body, which was sadly discovered in the river adjacent to Chorlton Water Park on 21 March 2024, the family of the victim has now been informed and supported by specialist officers.
The victim has been formally named as 38-year-old Laura Stanley, who was originally from Derbyshire but was living in Stockport.
After the body was discovered, and ‘exhaustive and determined’ investigation by GMP officers began to identify here, including detailed checks of both national and international databases.
The Major Incident Team (MIT) also closely worked in collaboration with specialist forensic service providers to create an anthropological profile, which eventually culminated in the creation of a facial reconstruction image.
Following several media appeals, a relative of Laura contacted officers and then a DNA match was confirmed through a familial link.
“Laura was a kind and gentle person with a great sense of fun and adventure,” Laura’s family said in a heartbreaking tribute to her.
“She was generous, thoughtful, caring and always keen to volunteer within the community. Laura was a proud and loving mum and she will be greatly missed by her girls and all of her friends and family who loved her dearly.”
The River Mersey, across from Chorlton Water Park, where Laura’s body was discovered / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
While Laura has now been identified, police say further investigations will take place to understand her last movements, the events that led to her death, and her discovery in the river.
Additionally, as is standard practice, GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate is also reviewing a previous missing report relating to Laura in the time before the discovery of her body, which will determine prior contact relating to Laura, and whether the appropriate measures were enacted.
#UPDATE | A woman who was discovered in the River Mersey last year has been identified following an extensive investigation by officers in GMP’s Major Incident Team.
Thank you to those of you who have shared our appeals over the last year.
Anyone who knew Laura and thinks they may be able to assist with the investigation is asked to contact police by calling 101, or by using the Live Chat Service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log number 1191 of 21 March 2024.
Alternatively, you can contact the Major Incident Team Syndicate 3 directly on 0161 856 9479, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
It is currently believed that Laura was last seen around January 2024.
Featured Image – GMP
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More than 70,000 home buyers set to pay thousands after missing stamp duty relief deadline
Emily Sergeant
More than 70,000 home buyers across England are estimated to have missed the stamp duty relief deadline.
This sadly means they’ll be required to fork out thousands of pounds extra.
In case you hadn’t heard, up until yesterday (31 March 2025), anyone who was moving and had bought a home in the past was not required to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax, better-known as just stamp duty, on the portion of the property price up to £250,000.
But from today (1 April), this threshold has now fallen back to £125,000, which unfortunately means that property purchasers are facing an extra £2,500 in moving costs, on average.
While the end of the stamp duty relief will mostly affect those Greater Manchester buyers who had already previously purchased properties, first time buyers are sadly not exempt from the deadline changes too, as their current stamp duty threshold of £425,000 has now fallen back to £300,000 as of today.
Person holding the keys to a new house in their hand / Credit: Maria Ziegler (via Unsplash)
Given that the average property price for a first time buyer-type home is currently around £227,965, according to Rightmove, the new £300,000 threshold may hit those purchasing properties in more expensive areas – particularly the South East.
A third of those estimated 70,000 home buyers who have missed the deadline are thought to be first time buyers.
Leading property platform Rightmove published an analysis in February into just how much of an impact the end of the stamp duty relief would have on home buyers, all while calling on the UK Government to announce a short extension to the deadline to help people in the middle of the property purchasing process avoid potentially thousands of pounds in extra moving costs.
But despite these calls from industry leaders, there was no extension to the deadline announced in the last week’s latest Spring Statement.
“It’s extremely disappointing that the Government has not used the Spring Statement as an opportunity to extend the impending stamp duty deadline for those currently going through the home-moving process,” commented Rightmove’s property expert Colleen Babcock.
“We estimate over 70,000 people are going to miss the deadline and complete in April instead, and a third of those are first time buyers.”
Daisy Jackson -
27th February 2023 
