Murder victim had reported attack

Clare Wood's home was fitted with a police alarm

A woman whose badly burnt body was found at her home in Salford had a police alarm fitted after reporting an assault weeks before her death.

Detectives said they had fitted a homelink device - an alarm which notifies police in an emergency - at the home of Clare Wood last month.

Ms Wood was found dead at her home in Blackfriars on Friday. Police are hunting suspect George Appleton, 40.

A man had previously been arrested and bailed over the alleged assault.

Received threats

Mr Appleton, a former boyfriend of Ms Wood, has not been seen since her badly burnt body was found.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it was now investigating the case after it emerged Greater Manchester Police had been in contact with the mother-of-one shortly before her death.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "In January 2009 Clare Wood made an allegation of assault to police, and a man was arrested and bailed in connection with this allegation."

Police believe George Appleton is a serious threat to women

Devices, like the one fitted at Ms Wood's home, link directly to a police call centre and are aimed at "vulnerable people" who feel they are "at risk", explained the force.

Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it had fitted a metal plate to the letterbox of Clare Wood's home to stop burning materials being put through it. It was fitted after she received threats against her.

Officers have been examining Mr Appleton's car after it was found abandoned in the city centre on Monday evening.

Police revealed he was known to contact women via the internet, sometimes using aliases, and urged them not to meet him.

The murder suspect is known to have visited Plentyoffish, Informedconsent, Facebook and MySpace.

Detectives warned that Mr Appleton had previously used aliases online including, ilgeorgyporgy, tristar5 and redfred. Women contacted by any of these names are advised to alert police.

Information about Mr Appleton has been circulated to all major ports and transport networks, and searches of Manchester are continuing.

CCTV footage of Mr Appleton, taken outside his house in Adelphi Court, Salford, on Thursday, was released by police at the weekend.

He is seen wearing tracksuit bottoms with a white stripe down them, white Reebok trainers, a dark puffa jacket and a woolly hat with brown, red and purple stripes.