THE heartbroken brother of suspected murder victim Raymond Dixon has spoken of his love for the man he described as “a loveable rogue”.

The body of Mr Dixon, 50, was found in the early hours of Tuesday morning at his home in Myrtle Street North, Bury.

A Home Office Post Mortem examination revealed he had been assaulted and had died from head injuries.

Detectives have launched a murder investigation.

“The whole situation is a massive shock,” said his half-brother, David Jones.

“I found out on Tuesday morning when my brother, Terrence, phoned to tell me.”

He revealed that Mr Dixon had been living at the property for around two months. Prior to that, he had lived in a number of places, including Bolton and Cumbria.

Mr Dixon was the father of two daughters, both in their twenties, and had 13 siblings and half-siblings.

“He’d not been working because of health problems. I last saw him just before Christmas and he didn’t look well then,” said Mr Jones.

Police were called by the ambulance service at 1.25am on Tuesday to reports that the body of a man had been found at the property.

“We don’t know who raised the alarm that something was wrong,” said Mr Jones, 36.

“Everyone knew him as Raymond but he was actually called David Raymond – our dad gave both of us the same first name so we called him Raymond to avoid confusion.”

Enquiries are ongoing and police are now appealing for witnesses about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Detective Inspector John Mulvihill, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “We are working to piece together the circumstances in which this man tragically lost his life and are committed to giving his family the answers they deserve.

“In particular, I am keen to establish Raymond’s movements on Monday 11 February 2019.

“We have specialist officers supporting his family at this incredibly difficult time and our thoughts are very much with them.

“You will see an increased police presence in the area in the coming days - please speak to these officers if you have any concerns.”

Mr Jones said: “Raymond was a former pupil of Broad Oak High School and he was a very talented artist.

“He was a loveable rogue. I loved him to bits and I wish he was still here.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 6777, quoting incident number 96 of 12/02/19, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.