A CHEF who murdered his wife had appeared to be the "perfect husband", her family have said.

Zameer Ahmed, 27, of Shear Bank Road, Blackburn, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation to serve at least 16 years on Monday after stabbing his estranged wife Nazia, 23, to death in June last year.

Now Nazia's family have told how Ahmed - who they insist was not a "bad person" - came into their lives in Blackburn.

In 2001 they travelled to Pakistan to select an appropriate husband for their daughter.

They said they chose Zameer, Nazia's cousin, as he was a "softly spoken" and "mild mannered" successful chef from a small village in the Punjabi province.

But the court heard how their marriage was "doomed for failure from the outset" as he spoke little English and knew nothing about the country before he came to live in Blackburn.

It was also suggested in court he was of "little intelligence" and that the pair were like "chalk and cheese".

However her family said that while the couple had their arguments "like any normal husband and wife", they had a respectful relationship.

Their uncle, Mohammed Ilyas, a Blackburn businessman, said: "He was the perfect husband in every way.

"He was never abusive or violent towards Nazia. Nobody could foresee that he was going to do this."

It was claimed in court that their different backgrounds and aspirations drove them apart.

Nazia was a successful Blackburn-born accounting graduate working for Lancashire County Council. He was a chef, working long hours with few friends.

Mohammed said: "Zameer, although what he did was an awful horrible nightmare which will never be forgotten, was not a bad person.

"He was a good man when he was chosen to be Nazia's husband.

"He worked in one of the famous restaurants in Pakistan, the Skyway, and so good was he as a chef that they offered - to try and keep him - to pay him any wages that would be paid anywhere in the world. He was very good."

Mohammed also told of his torment over what had happened. He said: "I wouldn't wish what happened on my worst enemy. I am in a very difficult place because Zameer is my nephew.

"There's no happy ending to this."

Ahmed told police that his wife had been "hanging round boys" and didn't like the way his mother-in-law spoke to him.

Police have uncovered no evidence that this was the case.

And Mohammed said: "Nazia was a good girl. When I heard that in court I couldn't believe it. Everybody knows Nazia wasn't like that."

Nazia went to Queen's Park High School before attending Blackburn College where she studied accountancy and went on to study a degree in the subject at the college.

She then gained a graduate position employed as an accountant at Lancashire County Council.