Rochdale murder investigation enters second day after woman found dead on estate
Detectives are continuing to investigate the death of a woman who was found unresponsive on Rochdale's Freehold estate. Officers launched a murder investigation on Monday evening (May 25).Greater Manchester Police says it was called out to concerns for a person's welfare at a property on the estate, off Tweedale Street, at around 4pm. A woman, believed to be in her 40s, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.Images from Monday night showed police tape outside the Hartlebury block of flats on Freehold. Officers were seen carrying out door-to-door enquiries as part of their investigation.Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily NewsletterA man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of murder. He was taken to police custody for questioning on Monday evening.In a statement issued late on Monday night, GMP said enquiries were ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the woman's death. Anyone with information that could assist police is being asked to come forward.Temporary Detective Chief Superintendent Jamie Daniels, from GMP's Major Incident Team, said: "We appreciate this incident is likely to cause some distress amongst the public and local community. I would like to reassure you that we believe this to be an isolated incident, which does not pose any further risk to the wider public."Our priority at this time is conducting formal identification of the victim and informing her family as soon as we can. Specialist officers will be available to support them during this difficult time."Rochdale's Freehold estate has been the centre of proactive police activity in recent years. In an effort to curb drug dealing and anti-social behaviour, Operation Affect led to dozens of arrests being made in 2024, while a three-month closure order was placed on the entire Freehold estate following a Manchester Evening News report on the estate.Two years earlier, the M.E.N. uncovered widespread issues of damp and mould on the Freehold estate - run by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) - following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak. RBH went on to carry out extensive works to improve ventilation and tackle damp and mould, while the tragedy sparked the campaign for Awaab's Law, which came into force last October.Temp Det Chf Sup Daniels says residents can expect to see an increased police presence on the estate in the coming days as the murder investigation continues. He added: "We understand the severity of events such as this, and whilst we are in very early stages, our officers will work tirelessly to establish the full details of this tragic death."A scene will remain in place at this time, and there will be an increased police presence in the area over the coming days. Thank you for your patience as our investigations continue."Anyone with information which could assist GMP with its murder investigation is urged to call 101, or use the LiveChat service online, quoting log number 2307 of May 25, 2026. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
