Rochdale Borough has one of the highest murder rates in the country

The body of Katelyn Parker, 24, was found in the boot of a car in Heywood

The Borough of Rochdale has one of the highest murder rates in the country, according to new crime figures from the Home Office.

The figures reveal the number of cases of homicide, attempted murder and conspiracy to murder for the 12 months up to and including September 2015.

Rochdale Borough had the eighth highest rate for any area in England and Wales with seven homicides, two cases of conspiracy to murder and four of attempted murder (6.1 murderous crimes per 100,000 people).

Rochdale Borough also had the highest homicide rate in Greater Manchester with 3.3 per 100,000 residents - this was also one of the 10 highest rates in England and Wales.

Garry Shewan, Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said: “We take these crimes incredibly seriously and we remain as committed as ever to investigating major crimes whether that is murder, organised crime, human trafficking, domestic abuse or sexual exploitation.

“We will continue to work non-stop to make our communities a safer place but we can’t do this alone. We need the help of the people who live within those communities whose intelligence and crime reports remain absolutely vital to our success.”