Murder hunt lodger Barry Morrow talks to Lancashire Telegraph through his Facebook account (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Murder hunt lodger Barry Morrow talks to Lancashire Telegraph through his Facebook account

4:20pm Wednesday 7th December 2011 in News Exclusive By Vanessa Cornall, Reporter

A MAN claiming to be wanted lodger Barry Morrow has contacted the Lancashire Telegraph on Facebook.

Our reporter received the dramatic messages from Mr Morrow’s website account yesterday afternoon.

There was nothing to suggest the contact with this newspaper was a hoax.

Mr Morrow, who was born and brought up in Burnley, is being sought in connection with the murder of Avon lady Angela Holgate, 54, and her 75-year-old mother Alice Huyton, whose bodies were found at a house in Southport.

The Lancashire Telegraph replied to the man on Facebook and told the murder team at Merseyside Police about the messages.

Officers said they would be looking into the contact as part of their investigation.

At 4.30pm yesterday a message from the account was posted to our reporter which said: “Get stuffed and leave my friends and family alone or I will sue you and your paper”.

Our reporter appealed to the sender for information.

Another message was then sent saying that Morrow had been in contact with police.

It read: “I have spoken to the police but it is none of your business.”

The contact between our reporter and the person posting the messages lasted for over one hour.

Later his Facebook status was updated with the words: “To all those who have read the papers and seen the news, must make up their own minds, but "INNOCENT TILL PROVEN GUILTY" is still the bedrock of our justice system, I apologise to any of my listed friends if they have been hounded by the media, but thats down to the law, as they have allowed access to my account , I have even had journalist trying to add me on here, nothing but a cheep shot.”

The message was later posted onto the public forum of the Burnley Past and Present group.

Morrow’s account then commented ‘thanks’.

Friends started posting messages to the sender expressing their support for Morrow, and urged him to get in contact with the police.

Following the Facebook contact, the Lancashire Telegraph was contacted by a solicitor on a mobile phone number provided to the Facebook sender.

Keith Rennison, of Donald Race and Newton solicitors, in Burnley, said he was acting on behalf of the 51-year-old.

He said: “At this stage Mr Morrow has no comment to make to the media.”

Mr Rennison also said he could not comment on Morrow’s whereabouts.

Morrow is a former Ivy Bank High School pupil and used to work at the Warburton’s factory in the town, his family said.

A murder investigation was launched after a post-mortem confirmed that both victims died from asphyxiation.

Their bodies were found by a relative on Saturday.

Detectives are searching for Morrow, who was a lodger at Mrs Holgate's home.

Officers believe he may hold information vital to the investigation but fear he may have left the country after being spotted in France.

Morrow was last seen in Calais on Saturday evening, police said, after apparently driving there in Mrs Holgate's white Citroen, with the registration PN11 RWK.

Officers believe Morrow, who grew up in Brush Street, Burnley, may be travelling to Spain.

Yesterday the family of the victims appealed for Morrow to return to the UK.

Speaking on behalf of the family, John Huyton, the son of Alice and brother of Angela, said: "Alice Huyton and her daughter, Angela Holgate, were integral cogs in our close knit family.

"Both Alice and Angela were very popular and led active lives and had many friends.

"Jim is distraught at the loss of the 'love of his life', Alice, who was his 'rock'.

"They had been married for 55 years, having known each other since childhood. Angela was their only daughter.

"We are all bewildered and devastated at the loss of two very special people and are finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with the senseless murders of Alice and Angela, who were much loved.

"We appeal to Barry Morrow to return to the United Kingdom and assist the police with their investigation.”