Chris Hill A father and son arrested in connection with the murder of Fakenham man Steven Murphy were released without charge last night.The two men were questioned throughout the weekend by Norfolk detectives but were released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Chris Hill

A father and son arrested in connection with the murder of Fakenham man Steven Murphy were released without charge last night.

The two men were questioned throughout the weekend by Norfolk detectives but were released on police bail pending further inquiries. They are due to answer bail in April.

The younger man, a 27-year-old from Blackpool, was arrested on suspicion of murder as he arrived in the country at London Heathrow Airport on Friday.

His 53-year-old father, from Scotland, was arrested later in Blackpool on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.

The arrests were part of a five-month police inquiry into the death of 45-year-old Mr Murphy whose body was discovered with a fatal stab wound in the hallway of his King's Road home on October 1.

A warrant extending the 27-year-old's detention period by 24 hours was granted by King's Lynn magistrate on Saturday. His father's custody was extended by six hours on the authority of a police superintendent before both men were released last night.

Det Chief Insp Jes Fry, who is leading the inquiry, said: "The Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Major Investigation Team has been investigating the murder of Steven Murphy and has been questioning two males during the weekend. Both males have been released on bail to return in April, and there is a whole raft of other inquiries to follow."

In January, a 38-year-old Fakenham man was arrested in connection with the investigation, but was also released without charge and is due to answer police bail in April.

Although the massive police inquiry has centred on Fakenham it had previously extended to Southampton, where Mr Murphy lived before moving to Norfolk - although possible links wth the Hampshire town were ruled out at the end of last year.

Mr Murphy's body was found with a knife wound in the hallway of his home by his mother Val Tuck. The victim's family has offered a �10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of his killer.