A Manchester policewoman, who was shot dead, was to marry her lesbian partner.

Fiona Bone had been engaged to her partner Clare before she was gunned down with her colleague Nicola Hughes.

Aged 32, the police officer also leaves behind her daughter Jessie.

The family have paid tribute to Bone, saying: ‘Fiona enjoyed life to the full from her days with the Air Training Corps, rugby at university, to her service with the police.

‘She was planning her marriage to Clare and this joy has been taken from us.’

Bone and Hughes’ death in the northern English city has shocked the British public.

More than 25,000 messages of condolence have been left on the force website by members of the public, 19,000 via Facebook and another 1,000 on Twitter.

Prime Minister David Cameron called the killings an ‘absolutely despicable act of pure evil’, while Chairman of the Greater Manchester Police Federation Ian Hanson said it was ‘the slaughter of the innocents.’

The Queen also passed along her sympathies, with the Lord-Lieutenant’s office saying: ‘Her Majesty expressed her sincere condolences to the families of PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone at the tragic loss of their lives.

Suspect Dale Cregan, 29, was arrested after going to a police station following the shooting.

Another man, Stephen Garvey, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder yesterday (19 September).