An English murder hunt has moved north of the border amid fears the suspected killer may have fled to Edinburgh.

The operation to find the killer of 24-year-old Saheel Ahmed led to a raid on a house in the capital, but detectives say their chief suspect is still at large.

Mr Ahmed was found in an alley in Blackburn in the early hours of Tuesday morning after suffering multiple stab wounds.

Detectives have named their chief suspect as 37-year-old Naeem Majid Butt, who has strong connections to Edinburgh. The team from Lancashire Constabulary believe he may have fled to the city after the killing.

Within hours of the killing, an armed response unit raided the house of Imtiaz Ali, the suspect’s former father-in-law.

Mr Ali said his street in the city’s Northfield area was sealed off while a police helicopter, armed police and a dog team pounced on his property.

However, Mr Ali said he was estranged from his first family and had not seen his daughter or Mr Butt for seven years.

Police confirmed the raid had taken place as part of the hunt for Mr Butt and said they were continuing to investigate the possibility he was hiding out in Edinburgh.

Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter, who is leading the investigation, said: "We need to speak with Naeem Butt as a matter of urgency. I would urge anybody who knows of his current whereabouts to contact police immediately.

"We believe he may well have travelled to Edinburgh and I would appeal to anybody in that area who thinks they may have seen him in the past 72 hours or so to come forward.

"I would also like to speak with anybody who has had any contact with him whatsoever, either directly or indirectly, since Tuesday. Finally, I would appeal to Mr Butt directly to make contact with the police as soon as possible.

"However, I would urge members of the public who may come into contact with Mr Butt to exercise caution and not to approach him directly but to contact the police immediately. It is crucial that we speak with him sooner rather than later as he may hold information that is key to this investigation."

Mr Butt is described as 5ft 10ins tall, of medium to slim build with dark hair and brown eyes. He has a piercing in his left ear, as well as a number of tattoos, including a scorpion and peacock on his left arm and a cobra on his left hand.

Police believe Mr Ahmed was chased by another man in Blackburn before he was killed. Detectives say the motive for the killing remains unclear, but they believe the killer was known to the victim.

Anybody with information is asked to contact Lancashire Police, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.