AN assassin lured his victim to the scene of his execution by knocking on the window of the victim's mother's house, police revealed last night.

Freddie Knights, 38, was shot at close range with a sawn-off shotgun in Lutterworth Road, Longbenton, North Tyneside, last Wednesday night as his partner, Grace Wilson, looked on.

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Stewart said the night before the shooting someone had banged on the windows of Mr Knights' 75-year-old mother's home. The intention, it appeared, was to scare her so that she would telephone her son and draw him into a trap.

Det Chief Insp Stewart said: "She did not ring him, but at 8pm on Wednesday it happened again. This time, she did ring her son and he came around with his wife, Grace, at 8.25pm.

"As he walked up to his mother's house, a man stepped out from behind a bush and shot him with a sawn off shotgun."

He added: "Freddie Knights was not a gangland member. However, he was well known to the police in the Tyneside area and had previous convictions for dishonesty and minor assaults. It would appear that the criminal fraternity is united in its abhorrence that Freddie Knights was murdered in this way in front of his wife.

"Let us be clear about this - we believe he was deliberately executed."

The gunman fled the scene along Chesters Avenue, where he may have had a car waiting.

The assailant was described as being of slim to medium build. He wore dark clothes and a balaclava.

Anyone with information has been urged to call a confidential hotline number on 0191-221 8844.