TWO women police officers have died today after being fatally wounded while attending a “routine incident” which led to the arrest of one of the country’s most wanted men.

The officers were named this afternoon as Fiona Bone, 32, who had been in the police five years and Nicola Hughes, 23, who had three years service.

Miss Bone was due to be married shortly and had been busy planning for her wedding.

In paying tribute to Miss Bone, Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police said: “She was an excellent bobby and cared about the community she served.”

Sir Peter then added colleagues had described Miss Hughes as “a lovely friend” a “great bobby” and “always smiling”.

During a press conference the chief constable said the officers’ deaths appeared to be “an act of cold-blooded murder”.

Suspect Dale Cregan gave himself up to police soon after the incident, Greater Manchester Police said.

Shortly afterwards a spokesman for the GMP said in a statement: “They attended a routine incident at Abbey Gardens in Hattersley, Tameside shortly before 11am today. There were reports that shots were fired.”

GMP has said the officers appeared to have been lured to the location by reports of a suspected burglary at a property. They had no knowledge that firearms were at the location.

A grenade was also said to have been discharged during the incident.

Cregan, 29, was being hunted in connection with separate gun and grenade attacks that killed a father and son.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said: “This is a heartbreaking time for the officers’ families and colleagues and our thoughts are with them.

“This is a tragic day for the whole force and we are currently piecing together exactly what happened this morning.”

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “This is a deeply shocking incident and a terrible reminder of the risks that police officers face every day to keep our communities safe.”

A �50,000 reward had been offered for information leading to the arrest of Cregan, who police wanted to speak to about the murders of David Short, 46, and his son Mark, 23.

Mr Short was killed at his home in Folkestone Road East, Clayton, Manchester, on August 10, while his son was gunned down at the Cotton Tree pub in nearby Droylsden, on May 25.

A gunman walked into the pub and fired shots which injured three other men.