Murder 'confession letter' probe

A father from Peterborough wrote to police to say he would "take justice" for his son's death by killing a "drug dealer" and take his own life.

Roy Allison, 65, was found hanged in the grounds of the city crematorium on Sunday, hours after the body of 36-year-old Duncan Bell was found stabbed.

Police have confirmed they are studying a letter but would not reveal details.

The Peterborough Telegraph said it was one of 14 recipients of the nine-page letter on Tuesday.

It reports that Mr Allison wrote that Mr Bell was a major drug dealer in Peterborough and had given his son drugs.

The letter states: "Like he did my son, I will do to him and take it all away from him. I take my own justice."

The body of Duncan Bell, of Winyates in Orton Goldhay, was found at a house on the nearby street of Hetley on Sunday.

Police have said they are not looking for a suspect and have linked the stabbing to the death of Mr Allison, who was found at 08:30 BST on Sunday.

 

'Getting justice'

Peterborough Telegraph editor Mark Edwards told the BBC he opened the letter at the newspaper's offices on Tuesday afternoon, and immediately called police.

The newspaper had by that point reported on the two deaths, and in March had covered the death of Mr Allison's son, Ray Jr, 28.

Speaking of the letter's contents, Mr Edwards said: "It outlines his grief and what he calls his own investigation into his son's death.

"He makes his own conclusions and the outlines what he is going to do about that.

"He says he is going to take his own life and then talks about 'getting justice' because he wasn't confident in the normal process of justice.

"He claims Duncan caused his son's death and makes a lot of allegations based on conversations he had with Duncan Bell and others.

"It's a very detailed letter, but he's making a lot of assumptions.

"He is clearly a man tortured by grief who has decided on a violent conclusion to what he perceives as an injustice."

A full inquest into Roy Jr's death is yet to take place.

'Cheeky chappie'

Cambridgeshire Police said: "We will be examining the contents of the letter as part of the investigation into the deaths of Mr Allison and Mr Bell.

"It would be inappropriate for us to comment on allegations within the letter or pre-empt the findings of any future inquest."

Earlier, in a statement from police, Mr Bell's family said he had touched so many lives and they were lucky to have known him.

They said: "There is little that can be said that could ease all our grief now. Some people make such a difference in our lives, Duncan was one of those people.

"By simply being who he was he made the world a better place, he touched so many lives and now he's gone we all realise how lucky we were to have known him.

-BBC