THE terrified girlfriend of a notorious Bolton criminal ran naked into the street after he was blasted to death in front of her eyes.

The girl, who was shot in the elbow as she fled, collapsed into the arms of an elderly neighbour crying: "I am going to die. I can't stop the bleeding."

Pensioner Anne Silman had been woken by screams in the middle of the night and rushed downstairs to investigate.

The 79-year-old saw the frightened young girl -- dressed only in a G-string -- staggering across the road with blood pouring from a bullet wound. Just minutes before, her boyfriend -- well-known criminal Billy Webb, aged 42 -- had been shot in the head and chest in what detectives believe was an underworld gangland execution.

As exclusively revealed in the BEN on Friday, Webb, who has a long record of criminal offences, was killed in his first floor flat only five months before he was due in court to face charges of conspiracy to supply drugs.

He had been on remand in prison but was released on bail by a judge earlier this year, despite protests from Crown Prosecution Service barristers.

Today, a large police hunt was underway for the killer who struck shortly after 3am as Webb was asleep in bed alongside his girlfriend at their new home in Whiteledge Road, Bryn, Wigan.

Residents had heard three shots followed by a woman's screams and many of them ran out of their homes.

Mrs Silman, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer two weeks ago, was the first to comfort the hysterical woman.

The pensioner dashed downstairs, flung open her door and grabbed hold of her. Without thought for her own safety, she pulled the woman into her home and the pair sat on the bottom step of a flight of stairs.

Mrs Silman said: "The girl was shaking and the blood was going everywhere.

"She kept saying, 'I'm going to die, I'm going to die'. I told her, 'look, I've got cancer, I'm the one who's dying, not you.' She seemed to calm down a bit and about five minutes later, the police arrived."

Mrs Silman had been told by the police to keep the girl talking when she phoned for help. She also battled to stem the flow of blood. She added: "When I think back to it all, it really scares me. At the time, I just thought I could not leave the girl on the streets.

"She was naked and bleeding heavily and I really felt for her. It was the Christian thing to do."

The body of Billy Webb -- who was born and bread in Bolton -- and previously lived in Morrison Street, Great Lever, and Darwen Road, Bromley Cross, was discovered dead in the converted end-of-terrace house.

His body was removed at 6pm last night. A post-mortem examination was due to be carried out this lunchtime.

Mrs Silman added: "This area used to a nice little community. I never dreamed I would be caught up in something like this."

Last night a special police "pod" was sited close to the scene of the shooting as murder squad detectives walked the streets in the area of the murder early today questioning taxi drivers and people returning home from pubs and clubs.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Police are keen to speak to anyone who may have been in the Wigan Road or Whiteledge Road area of Bryn between 1.30am and 3.30am on Friday, who may have seen anything."

Earlier this year Webb -- also known as William Craig -- was released on bail after being held on remand following previous court appearances.

In 1998, Webb's named figured in the Dillon Hull murder trial, as a man who had drugs-related meetings with the child's stepfather John Bates at the Ancient Shepherd pub in Bolton town centre.

Five-year-old Dillon was gunned down by Paul Seddon who bungled an attempted contract shooting on the child's stepfather John Bates.

During the trial Webb was described as a "well known local criminal".

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police incident room on 0161 856 7019, the Crimestoppers hot-line on 0800 555 111 or visit the police pod. All calls will be treated in confidence.