Murder victim made two complaints

Clare Wood's home was fitted with a police alarm

A woman whose charred body was found at her home in Salford had made two complaints to police about her former boyfriend, it has emerged.

Police are continuing to hunt George Appleton, who vanished shortly before Clare Wood, 36, was found on Friday.

Mr Appleton, 40, was given a fixed penalty notice for smashing her front door a week before she was killed, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

He had also previously been arrested and bailed over an alleged assault.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had fitted a homelink device - an alarm which notifies police in an emergency - at the home of Ms Wood last month after the assault allegation.

The devices link directly to a police call centre and are aimed at "vulnerable people" who feel they are "at risk", the force said.

He needs to be found

Angela Whitehead, Clare Wood's aunt

But on Thursday the CPS revealed that Ms Wood had also made a complaint of harassment after Mr Appleton punched her front door.

A spokesman told the BBC that Ms Wood had declined to press charges on the harassment allegation, but her former boyfriend was given a fixed penalty notice for criminal damage.

Detectives said Mr Appleton was was known to have contacted women via the internet, sometimes using aliases including, ilgeorgyporgy, tristar5 and redfred.

He is known to have visited websites including Plentyoffish, Informedconsent, Facebook and MySpace. Women contacted are urged not to meet him.

As detectives continue their hunt for Mr Appleton, Ms Wood's aunt, Angela Whitehead, paid tribute to her and urged anyone with information to come forward.

IPCC inquiry

"She was bubbly. She was so full of fun. She liked life - she just wouldn't hurt anybody," said Mrs Whitehead, of Liversedge, West Yorkshire.

"She'll just be missed by everybody. Everybody who knew her.

"If anybody out there knows where he is - somebody must know where he is - come forward. He needs to be found."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is to investigate the case because of GMP's contact with the mother-of-one.

A spokesman said: "We will be conducting an independent investigation in due course, but at this stage GMP's murder investigation takes priority and we would urge the public to help the police solve the crime.

"Our investigation will not start until GMP has concluded its murder investigation."