Police are investigating the fatal stabbing of a shopkeeper in Bootle, Merseyside and have issued an appeal for witnesses to come forward.

The incident occurred on Friday 20 June at Low Cost Food and Wine on Stanley Road, where officers found 44-year-old Nilani Nimalarajah with stab wounds. She was taken to hospital but died shortly afterwards.

A Home Office post-mortem confirmed the cause of death as stab wounds to the chest.

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A 47-year-old man from Widnes was arrested on suspicion of murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place. He remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition.

The investigation is ongoing, with officers conducting CCTV, forensic, and witness enquiries in the local area.

Detective inspector Alan Nuttall said: “We understand how distressing this incident would have been to anyone who witnessed it and the shock that continues to be felt by the local community and I want people to feel reassured we are doing everything in our power to get justice for Nilani and her family.”

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