Police investigating the murder of a man who was shot by intruders at his home in Dorset have arrested four people.

Guy Hedger, 61, an insurance executive, was killed in front of his partner Simon-Pierre Hedger-Cooper, at their home in Ringwood in the early hours of Sunday morning in what police described as an "aggravated burglary".

Detectives announced that they had arrested four people in connection with the murder.

A 41-year-old man from Bournemouth was arrested on suspicion of murder and aggravated burglary, while a 44-year-old and a 40-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.

All three people are currently being questioned by detectives. Dorset Police said they were searching properties in Winterborne Stickland near Blandford and in Verney Close in West Howe in Bournemouth.

A fourth man, age 40, from Blandford has been arrested on suspicion of murder and aggravated burglary after he handed himself in at Bournemouth Police Station.

Superintendent Kevin Connolly, of Dorset Police, said: “I would like to thank the public for coming forward with information.

We are very grateful for the all the public support we have received. “We have worked tirelessly on this investigation which still continues even though arrests have been made.