Detectives investigating the kidnap and murder of Tomasz Samel have released the picture of a man they want to speak to as the one-year anniversary approaches on Friday.

QLocal exclusively broke the story of the horrific attack on Polish national Tomasz Samel, aged 45, who was taken from his home on Raleigh Close, Handsworth, in a white van by men pretending to be Interpol Officers and dumped in Bickerstaffe.

https://www.qlocal.co.uk/ormskirk/news_list/Attempted_murder__Bickerstaffe-55037682.htm

They escorted him to the vehicle, a white Peugeot Boxer displaying the registration OY55 MVT, before driving away at around 8.45am on 27 March. At 10.45pm that night, he banged on the door of a property on Intake Lane to get help.

Suffering 75 per cent burns, he was taken to hospital by ambulance but Mr Samel sadly died in a specialist burns unit in Liverpool on 21 June.

Police have now have released an image of Kevin Wooden wanted in connection with Mr Samel’s kidnap and murder and are appealing for anyone with information to contact us.

Two men, aged 29 and 28, were arrested last year on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to kidnap and a woman, aged 31, was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. All three have been released while enquiries continue.

DCI Scott Griffiths, leading the investigation said: “This was a horrific attack, and although these arrests were a significant development in our investigation, a year on we are still working tirelessly to understand exactly what happened on that day and why.

“As we approach the anniversary of Mr Samel’s kidnap, we have released an image of Kevin Wooden who we urgently want to speak to. “We have reason to believe Wooden is currently out of the country and we are urgently appealing for anyone who has any information to contact us.

“We’d also appeal to members of the Polish community in the UK to come forward and help us with any information they may have.

“It may be that people are reluctant to give information, but they can give us information in complete confidence."

Anyone with information has been asked to contact police via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight, call 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.