A MURDERER who set fire to a flat to conceal his crime will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Alan Maidment, aged 40, stabbed Thomas Jones multiple on Tuesday, March 21 this year at a flat in Berry Street, Clifton.

After the attack Maidment dragged his victim's body into the living room and placed a number of items over the body before setting them alight using a lighter and pages ripped from an Argos catalogue.

He then ran from the flat before returning with a milkshake carton full of petrol but when he got there found the fire service was already there battling the blaze.

He cleaned the knife before discarding it along with Mr Jones' phone.

Maidment, of Ludlow Avenue in Salford, was jailed at Manchester Crown Court today after being found guilty of murder after a trial and pleading guilty to five counts of robbery at an earlier hearing.

He was sentenced to life in prison with a whole life tariff.

A post-mortem examination showed Mr Jones suffered 32 stab wounds to his body.