Paul Massey, Salford's 'Mr Big', shot dead in front garden

Paul Massey, a violent criminal who ran for mayor of Salford in 2012, was shot dead in his front garden yesterday evening.

Massey – dubbed Salford's 'Mr Big' – was jailed for 14 years in 1999 for stabbing a man in the groin outside a nightclub in Manchester.

Police said formal identification of the body was yet to take place but they believe it was a "targeted attack" and have increased the number of officers in the area while they establish the full circumstances.

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Investigators are following a "number of lines of enquiry" to identify those responsible and have urged local residents to come forward with any information.

"Mourners were seen in tears outside his house in the Clifton area of Salford," reports The Times. Others paid tribute online, with one supporter tweeting: "A true gentleman that will be remembered by many as one of the good guys."

However, the newspaper points out that the judge who jailed Massey 16 years ago described him as "no stranger to violence".

He gained his nickname during a council meeting row in 1992 when one councillor accused him of orchestrating civil disturbances in the city.

Massey, who was 55 and a father of five, denied the claims and later began buying up property and became involved in the security business. He reportedly acted as a "mediator between warring gang factions", reports the BBC.

In December 2011, he was arrested again as part of an investigation into money laundering. After three years his bail was finally cancelled without charge. Massey said he was confident that there was no case to answer and attempted to shrug off his "Mr Big" reputation.

After promising to rid the streets of drugs as part of his 2012 Salford mayoral campaign, he received 4.45 per cent of the votes, with 1,995 supporters, and came seventh out of ten candidates.

In a BBC documentary commissioned in 1998 (pictured above), Massey predicted that he could be "shot dead anytime". He added: "If it's meant to happen, it's meant to happen and that's the end of it."