EXCLUSIVEDaughter of Mr Big gangster Paul Massey blames police for his death nearly 10 years after he was murdered by Iceman assassin... but mobsters pal says claim is ridiculous

The daughter of a gangland Mr Big who died in a machine gun attack on his own doorstep has accused police for not making him aware of a threat to his life.

Paul Massey, a notorious figure in Manchester, died in an Uzi attack which rocked Britains underworld.

The father, 55, was murdered during the so called A Team gang war when rival factions fought each other on the streets of his native Salford.

Massey was labelled a Mr Big during a council meeting in 1992 when he was accused of mobilising large numbers of youths in the Salford area. 

He had a criminal record and had served a long prison sentence for stabbing a Leeds United fan outside a nightclub. 

However, those close to him suggested he had turned his back on serious crime and died trying to broker a truce between rival gangs.

Hitman Mark Fellows murdered Massey and the Salfords man friend John Kinsella, who had vowed to avenge his pals death.

Paul Massey, a notorious figure in Manchester, died in an Uzi attack which rocked the UKs underworld in 2015

Pictured: Massey with his daughter Kelly who has accused Greater Manchester Police of giving him warning that his life was in danger prior to his murder

Police forensics officers work at the scene of the gangland hit outside Masseys Salford home

Fellows, described as an assassin, is now serving a whole life sentence for the murders.

Now Pauls daughter Kelly has alleged that her late father did not receive the threat to life warning Greater Manchester Police claimed to have delivered to him.

In a written submission to the coroner she said:In the weeks prior to our fathers murder, our father had never mentioned a new or recent threat to life warning to any of his family members. His behaviour didnt change like it did in April 2012.

I do not believe that my father was ever aware of the threat to life warning, due to Greater Manchester Police not handing it to him personally. Because if they did, then I believe my father would still be alive today.

GMP have said that Masseys finger prints were found on the notice but Kelly has pointed out that her father lost some of his fingers in the machine gun attack which claimed his life.

She said: The police have access to my dads fingers. We dont know if my dads fingers were put in the coffin.

Senior area coroner Alan Walsh said the Massey family suspect a cover-up and called on GMP to provide more information.

A GMP spokesperson said: We are aware of the allegations made by Paul’s family in today’s hearing and we understand their ongoing pain since his death in 2015.

We are fully co-operating with the process and will provide all information necessary to support a full and fearless inquest into his death.

The Massey family declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

But a man who knew Massey said he was fully aware of the threat to life notice.

The man, who asked not be named, said: Of course Paul knew about it. Any suggestion to the otherwise is just ridiculous.

He said that although Massey was far from perfect he was not a bad person.

The friend added: Paul was ok and tried to help when he could. To be fair he would give people the shirt off his back. And he loved his family.

Armed police wait for the convoy carrying Mark Fellows and Steven Boyle as they stand trial for the murders of John Kinsella and Paul Massey

Paul Massey (left) was executed in gangland hit by hitman Fellows, nicknamed Iceman (right) who was caught after police analysed GPS data on his Garmin watch (ringed)

The man suggested the gangsters decline began during his time in prison in the early 2000s.

He said: So called mates started ripping him off when he was in jail. And some of the friends who fleeced him were at his funeral.

Massey was jailed in 1999 and later released in 2007. He later became a godfather like figure to a new generation of young criminals known as the A Team.

The loose association of pals partied together in Manchester nightclubs, and naturally looked up to Massey as an elder statesman like figure.

However, a series of petty rows in nightclubs and cafes tore the A Team apart, and led to a murderous gang war which would claim Masseys life.

At around 7.30pm on July 26 2015 Paul Massey pulled up outside his home on Manchester Road in the Clifton area of Salford.

After parking up his BMW Massey was approached by a gunman Mark Fellows , who wore camouflage and a fishermans cap.

He let off five shots, one of which pierced Masseys heart.

The document reads; Paul Massey was a significant criminal in Salford and was well respected by members of the A Team OCG.

And it continues: This attack is believed to have been carried out by members of the opposing OCG.

Mourners pay their respects at the funeral procession of Massey in Salford in 2015

During his criminal career Massey featured in various crime books and mixed with a string of celebrities including movie actor Dougray Scott, pictured above 

A few weeks later Mark Fellows, the gang member responsible for the murder, was nearly killed in a revenge attack.

A police intelligent document seen by MailOnline reads: At 1815 on August 12th 2015 Mark Fellows was cycling to his grandmothers house on Normanton Avenue in Weaste Salford when he was fired upon from a passing black Honda Civic. 5 shots were fired at him, one passed through his hip and a number of bullets passed through the window casing in the downstairs living room , narrowly missing his grandmothers head as she sat watching television.

The report states that the shooting formed part of the A Team gang war.

And the leaked intelligence document describes a horrendous incident at Paul Masseys funeral, when a man was attacked by members of the A Team.

It reads: On August 28 2015 Paul Massey was laid to rest at Agecroft Cemetery. After the service a burial was held in the cemetery attended by a large number of mourners.

After the burial guests started to leave the graveside on foot, and in a cortege of vehicles.

Stephen Lydiate was at the graveside when he was attacked by a large group of males. He was sprayed in the face and eyes with a substance that caused him to be in pain and temporarily blinded.

He was then hit with wooden poles used to lower the coffin and suffered serious lacerations to his head.

It is believed that members of the A Team were responsible for the attack. Lydiate is supposed to be a member of the opposing OCG.

The so called A Team gang began to fade after GMP made a number of key arrests and some of the leading protagonists fled abroad.

However in May 2018, John Kinsella, who had been a pallbearer at Masseys funeral, was shot dead in front of his wife.

Kinsella was out walking his dogs on a pathway near the M62 when Fellows cycled up behind him and opened fire.

Mark Fellows was found guilty of both murders following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court and jailed for life.

The trial heard how Kinsella, from Liverpool, had helped the family of Liverpool FC legend Steven Gerrard after a criminal attempted to intimidate the England star.

Paul Greaney QC, when questioning Fellows co-accused Steven Boyle, said:Did you not hear when Steven Gerrard, a Liverpool footballer, got in trouble he came in to assist? Boyle said he was not aware of this.

Pictured: Tributes to Paul Massey after he was murdered in a planned mob hit 

Fellows, who was recalled to prison after the attempt on his life, claimed that Kinsella offered lags £20,000 to stab him.

After he was released from prison the hitman was told he was not allowed to return to Salford so he moved to Warrington and found a job working nights.

Fellows said that he wanted to get on with his life but but was increasingly concerned about the treat posed to him by Kinsella, who lived nearby. 

Fellows was convinced that Kinsella wanted revenge for the murder of his friend Paul Massey.

He later wrote a letter from prison to the Sunday People when he revealed that he murdered Kinsella rather than wait for him to find me. 

Fellows said; A month before my release from Altcourse in Liverpool I was told Masseys best friend Kinsella was offering up to £20,000 to stab me. Kinsella was from Liverpool and was well known for bullying and intimidating people

He had obviously heard I had killed Massey and was planning to seriously harm me or kill me. I know this doesnt sound good but Kinsella, like Massey, was a serious threat to me and my family, so I had to act first. What man wouldnt.

I was released from prison in August 2017 but the authorities wouldnt allow me to live in Salford.

I moved to Warrington, got a job, 12-hour night shifts, making ready meals for supermarkets. I wanted to keep my head down and get on with my life. However I soon discovered that Kinsella lived nearby

He was telling everyone that he wanted revenge for Massey. So rather than wait for him to find me, I shot him too.

That is what happened and that is why I did what I did. I have no reason to lie because I have nothing to gain and nothing to lose.

In the same letter Fellows also claims that he shot Massey because the so called Mr Big had tried to have him killed during a drugs war. 

He said that a hit man posing as a scrap metal dealer pulled a gun on him, but the weapon failed to fire.

The Massey family said the claims made by Fellows were not true.