Family's tribute to murdered son

Date published: 01/03/2008

The parents of a young father who was stabbed to death in Manchester have paid tribute to their "fun-loving" and "inspirational" son.

Craig Douglas, 25, – who was originally from Rochdale – was walking along Canal Street in the city centre on Monday night when he was involved in an argument with two men.

He was then stabbed in the neck with a small knife. He was rushed to hospital but died a short time later.

A man, 66, was arrested on suspicion of murder and has been bailed until March.

A 49-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the incident has been released without charge.

His mother Sandra and father John said they were "devastated" by his "tragic" death.

"No parent should have to bury their child, and the fact he has been so cruelly taken away from us makes this loss even harder to bear.

"We are all struggling to come to terms with Craig's death and know life will never be the same again."

They added: "Craig was a fun-loving guy who was always the life and soul of the party.

"He was well liked and had a massive circle of friends. He was a source of fun and inspiration for anyone that met him."

Detectives say they are still trying to establish the circumstances surround the incident, which took place in Manchester's gay village. 

They say they are not treating this as a homophobic incident and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Det Ch Insp Steve Eckersley said: "This is a tragic case in which a young man was stabbed and killed.

"We want reassure people that Manchester's gay village is a safe place to visit. We have a dedicated team of officers based in Canal Street to provide advice and reassurance.

"While it is true to say that this kind of incident is incredibly rare on Canal Street it does not take away from the fact that Craig's death is a tragedy."