THREE bedroom terraced house for sale - previous owner murdered there.

To prospective buyers, 397 Wellfield Street, in Bewsey, is an attractive buy at £119,950.

But what most people won't realise is that the house holds a dark secret.

It was the centre of a murder probe two years ago when a man strangled his lover there.

Now the property is on the market with Halifax estate agents, the first time it has been offered for sale since the brutal killing in December 2005, and while there is no mention of the grisly past in the estate agent's selling details, its true history will no doubt be a shock to prospective buyers.

The previous owner Steven Rankin, aged 47, killed his partner of 15 years, Donella Schofield, aged 45, at the house.

Her body was found dumped in the house's kitchen on Boxing Day, 2005, after Rankin's body was discovered earlier at Sankey Valley Park on Christmas Day.

He had committed suicide.

Police used his keys to get in to the house where they made the grim discovery.

Ms Schofield was found lying on her back - police believe she had been killed two days earlier.

Bones around her neck were broken and a pathologist concluded she had probably been strangled.

Under her fingernails, traces of her boyfriend's DNA were found as well as bruises to her upper arms, which detectives believe suggested a struggle.

The former murder house now shows no trace of its brutal history - with bright decorations and modern furniture.

During a double inquest into their death, Warrington Coroners' Court recorded a verdict of unlawful killing over Ms Schofield's death and ruled that Mr Rankin took an overdose.

Staff at the Buttermarket Street branch of the Halifax, which is handling the sale, were unaware of the house's past when contacted by the Guardian this week.

A spokesman said: "We knew it was a deceased's estate but we have only had dealings with relatives, and we generally do not push for information.

"I am not sure that this information would be passed on to homebuyers unless they asked directly."