POLICE arrested seven people in a series of dawn raids yesterday in connection with the murder of man shot twice in front of his wife.

Father-of-two Freddie Knights, 38, was gunned down with a sawn-off shotgun after being lured to his mother's home in Newcastle last September.

Police investigating the case made the arrests at several non-specified locations across Tyneside. They were being held at several police stations.

Mr Knights was on the way to collect presents from his mother, destined for his 14-year-old son, when he was shot in front of his wife, Grace, at 8.30pm on September 20, last year, at Catchdale Close, Longbenton.

He had rushed to his mother's home after a prowler banged on her window. He was shot as he approached her house.

A police spokesman said detectives were still following leads and still needed members of the public to come forward with information.

He said: "This operation follows months of intelligence gathering and painstaking inquiries."

A hotline has been set up on 0191-221 8844.