A man accused of killing two police officers in Manchester is thought to have been in Herne Bay the day before the shootings.

Dale Cregan, 29 – who was last night charged with the murder of Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes – is believed to have been in the town on Monday.

It was reported today he took a 270-mile taxi ride from the town to Birmingham at 1.30pm, before travelling to Manchester later that night.

Reporters from The Sun newspaper were in Herne Bay yesterday following a tip-off police were investigating if Cregan - who officers wanted to question over two other murders – had been in the town.

They spoke to B&B owners, bookmakers, newsagents and Terry Hawkins, the owner of local taxi firm Abacus Cars.

He said: “We take people to Gatwick, Manchester, all over the place. I can’t say anything, I’m not allowed to.”

Quizzed on whether Cregan had been in Herne Bay, a spokesman for the Greater Manchester force said: “This forms part of an ongoing murder inquiry — we cannot comment on a live investigation.”

Last night one-eyed Cregan, who handed himself in at a police station after the officer killings on Tuesday, was also charged with the two other murders.

He is accused of gunning down Mark Short, 23, in a Droylsden pub in May — then shooting the amateur boxer’s dad David, 46, at his Clayton home three months later.

He also facing four attempted murder charges.

His alleged targets were named as Michael Belcher, Ryan Pridding, John Short and Sharon Hark.