Five people were arrested yesterday – four men from Cornwell and a woman from Surrey- for the New Year’s Day murder of Jess Smith.

Mr Smith, 36, died of a shotgun injury to the back of his chest, an inquest was told this week. The hearing was opened and adjourned by the coroner David Morris.

The five arrested yesterday were detained on suspicion of murder and it brings the total number of arrests to six.

Mr Smith, 36, of Common Road, Potton, Bedfordshire, died following an incident in First Drove, Burwell, in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

Three of the men, aged 42, 17, and 19, were arrested in the Looe area of Cornwall at about 8pm; the fourth, aged 27, was arrested in the Redruth area of Cornwall, at about 2.30pm and the woman, aged 38, was arrested at an address in Chertsey, Surrey, at about 9.30pm.

A 57-year-old man from Burwell arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm earlier this week has been bailed until February 3.

The victim’s family have described him as a “good man”. They said: “Jess was a lovely husband and you couldn’t find a better father. He was a good man. We felt honoured to have him as the head of our family.”