THE nephew of convicted salon killer Rena Salmon is also serving a life sentence for murder, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph can reveal today.

Salmon was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday after admitting killing her husband's pregnant lover, 36-year-old Lorna Stewart, by shooting her twice with a double-barrelled shotgun in her west London beauty salon, last September.

And in a new twist, police in Lancashire revealed they are liaising with the team investigating the death to establish if there is any link to the 'execution-type' murder of Burnley man Iain McKay in September 2000.

Salmon's nephew, Imtiaz Hussain, now 24, and originally from Walpole Street, Burnley, was convicted of Mr McKay's killing following a trial at Preston Crown Court in 2001.

Hussain, is the son of Salmon's half sister Sabeya Uddin, who gave evidence of her upbringing with Salmon in Burnley, during the eight-day trial at the Old Bailey.

Miss Uddin still lives in Walpole Street, together with her children, Hamida Bibi, 22, Shiraz Hussain, 21, and 20-year-old Rayiaz Hussain.

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police, said today: "We are liaising with the team who are investigating the murder of Lorna Stewart to establish if there are any links with the murder of Iain McKay in Burnley."

It has not been revealed what the possible links may be.

Today Salmon's niece, Saedia Bibi, 22, who also lives in Burnley, said the mum-of-two would not be able to cope with life behind bars.

She said: "My aunt was always a very happy and jolly woman who worshipped her kids.

"And I always thought Uncle Paul was a lovely man. They looked to be so much in love.

"I spoke to her on the phone just a few days ago during the trial, although she was very down and upset then.

"We had initially thought that things were looking good for her.

"We knew she would be found guilty, but thought she might have been convicted of manslaughter instead.

"She will not be able cope with this sentence."

The jury in Salmon's trial heard how she shot Miss Stewart twice at close-range in a fit of "anger and revenge".

Miss Stewart had left her husband Keith Rodrigues to set up home in Iver, Bucks, with IT consultant Paul Salmon.

Three days before the killing, Rena Salmon said Miss Stewart told her they were planning a marriage ceremony and intended to have children.

Salmon told the court she had gone to the salon to shoot herself because no one would go to a salon where someone had "blown their brains out".

Her defence had urged the jury of two women and ten men to clear her of murder and find her guilty of manslaughter.

But they rejected the mum-of-two's claim that she did not know what she was doing when she shot Miss Stewart. They took four hours to find her guilty of murder.

Judge Neil Denison told Salmon: "You know that there is only one sentence I can pass for the offence of murder and that is the one I do pass-- life."

But he added that when he made his recommendation to the Home Secretary on the length of time she must serve in prison before being considered for parole, he would take into account all the points her counsel, Patrick Curran QC, had put before him.

Salmon is considering appealing against the verdict.

Her counsel said: "She has professed profound and genuine remorse for the death."

Outside court Detective Inspector Steve Morris said: "This whole episode has been a tragedy for all the families concerned and the impact on them cannot be overstated.

"The court accepted that Salmon may have had a disturbed childhood, but it was wrong of her to use this as a defence for the premeditated and cold-blooded murder of Lorna Stewart."