THE gunmen who fired on the Horwich home of the wife of Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair travelled to Bolton under the guise of Glasgow Rangers football fans.

The Bolton Evening News has learned that the gang of three travelled from Belfast to Scotland by ferry and collected two weapons at a Glasgow Loyalist bar before making their way to the house on Chorley New Road.

During the attack, five shots were fired at the house where Gina Adair was living with her three children. No one was injured in the incident in the early hours of Wednesday, April 30.

Gina, her children, Natalie, aged 16, Chloe, aged eight, and four-year-old Jay, were driven out of Lower Shankill in Belfast and forced to flee Northern Ireland following the murder of Adair's bitter rival John Gregg. A feud broke out between supporters of the two men, leading to expulsion of the Adair group. Gina and senior members of the breakaway C Company faction of the Ulster Defence Association moved to Bolton in February.

The Bolton Evening News believes the gunmen were acting on information passed to them by loyalist sympathisers in the Greater Manchester area who had become aware of the group's location.

Wearing blue Rangers shirts, the gang left Northern Ireland on Saturday April 26 and were not armed in case they were picked up by security forces.

They are believed to have stayed at two safe houses in Bolton for two nights before moving on and eventually returning to Northern Ireland.

Detectives investigating the shooting are trying to trace a witness who was in the area at the time.

Officers believe there was a man was waiting at a bus stop who may have vital information. They are also keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time of the shooting which happened shortly before 2am.

Det Chief Insp Mark Roberts who is leading the investigation said: "We believe this attack was prompted by people in Northern Ireland and the offenders had been sent to Bolton to carry out the attack.

"We also believe they may have been staying in the Bolton or Manchester area for several days before the shooting and again for a few days after the incident.

"I would like to appeal to people to think back to the end of April to see if they remember any people with a Northern Irish accent who came to stay for a few days.

"Was anybody looking for short term accommodation in the area around the end of April or beginning of May?

"The witness at the bus stop may have been returning from work or a night out and we would like him to contact us as soon as possible.

"We need to speak to anyone who thinks they saw anything suspicious on the night."

A group of about 20 Adair supporters moved to Bolton and settled in a number of privately rented addresses in Horwich and Halliwell.

Last week, the Bolton Evening News revealed the group had lost their appeal against the decision not to give them council housing but Gina is believed to be planning to take the fight to the county court.

Among the supporters was Alan McCullough who was found murdered and dumped in a shallow grave on the outskirts of Belfast on Thursday.

He is believed to have travelled back to the Northern Ireland last month after promising to betray the Bolton-based group in return for amnesty.

McCullough is thought to have helped set up the drive-by shooting in Horwich in April and was in the car at the time the shots were fired.

However, after passing on information about the business dealings of the Bolton-based group, he was murdered by the UDA.

They claimed his death was linked to the murder of Gregg but this has been denied by supporters of Adair.

DCI Roberts assured anyone with information that they would be treated in the strictest confidence.

He added: "I appreciate people may have concerns about coming forward. Information can be given anonymously on the Crimestoppers hot-line."

Anyone with information about the incident can call the Major Incident Room at Leigh on 0161 856 7354 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.