UNDERWATER search teams scoured a fishing lodge in the hunt for the revolver used to kill fiveyear- old Dillon Hull.

The North West Underwater Search Unit sent divers into Mortfield Lodge, off Avenue Street, Halliwell, yesterday.

Police took action when it is believed gangland hitman Paul Seddon finally confessing to the killing from his prison cell. When The Bolton News questioned Greater Manchester Police about the revelations earlier this week, they remained tight lipped, saying only that they would be looking into “reports” of a confession.

However, police yesterday backtracked, saying that search teams were to be sent out to the 18ft deep lodge to hunt for the weapon.

Martin Bottomley, head of Greater Manchester Police’s Cold Case Review Unit, said: “We received some new information about the whereabouts of the weapon used to murder five-year-old Dillon Hull in 1997.

“As a result of that information, Greater Manchester Police conducted a search of Mortfield Lodge to try and substantiate whether that claim was legitimate and, if possible, recover the weapon.”

Despite a thorough search by diving teams, no weapon was recovered from the lodge, which is just a short distance from where Dillon was shot in Bankfield Street, Deane.

But Mr Bottomley said police had also received two calls from members of the public with new information which officers would now be looking into.

Mr Bottomley refused to confirm whether or not the original source of the information was Seddon or one of his cellmates, saying only that police had received “specific intelligence”

which had led them to this spot.

He added: “Although it has been 13 years since Dillon was killed and a man convicted of his murder, the case has never been closed as the gun used has never been found and we will always act on new information.”

Seddon was found guilty of Dillon’s murder in 1997. He had been aiming for the boy’s stepfather, but mistakenly shot the youngster in the head.

At his trial, Seddon denied any involvement but was convicted by a jury and jailed for a minimum of 25 years.

As he was led from the dock, he shouted: “I’m just a scapegoat. I didn’t pull the trigger. It wasn’t me.”

Hired assassin Seddon was paid £5,000 to shoot Dillon’s stepdad, John Bates, who had fallen out with gangland drugs boss Billy Webb.

Seddon, wearing a motorcycle crash helmet, leapt out of the shadows and fired four shots at the pair.

One bullet hit Dillon in the head and another struck his stepfather, who survived.

Billy Webb, aged 42, was later shot dead by a hitman at his Wigan home in 2001