DETECTIVES are asking for more time to question a chef held over the murder of a barman at the Last Drop Hotel.

A 35-year-old man has been under arrest in hospital since George Waithaka was stabbed to death at the four-star hotel.

Police are to apply for a 36-hour extension to interview him at Bolton magistrates court.

Post-mortem results have revealed the victim died of a single stab wound to his chest.

Mr Waithaka, who was in his 30s, was married with one child and had come to England from Kenya to find work.

Police in Nairobi tracked down his family on Friday, and they are due to fly over to the UK early next week to formally identify the body.

Mr Waithaka was discovered dead in a room at the hotel in Bromley Cross early on Thursday.

A female guest from the south of England was also held captive in her room and was discharged from hospital after jumping out of a first floor window to safety.

A spokesman for the Kenyan High Commission said: "We were told about the incident and given Mr Waithaka's name by the police.

"We have asked our people in Nairobi to contact the family and are waiting to find out how we should proceed."

An inquest into the death is expected to open next week.

He is believed to have been an employee of the hotel and is not thought to have been an asylum-seeker.

A former waiter has told the Bolton Evening News that Mr Waithaka used to send most of his wages back to his family in Kenya.