The family of murder victim Guy Hedger has paid tribute to a “caring and compassionate man” who “lived life to its full”.

Mr Hedger was shot dead in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, April 30 after at least two intruders entered his home in Castlewood in Ringwood.

Police received a call at 3.03am reporting he had been shot with a shotgun. He was sadly pronounced dead shortly after arriving at hospital.

His family said: “Guy was a caring and compassionate partner, son, brother and uncle who lived life to its full and enriched the lives of all those who knew him.

“We are devastated that Guy's life has been cut short in this way. Guy will be sorely missed by family, friends and colleagues, but he will live in our hearts forever.

“We ask for time to grieve in private."

It is believed jewellery, including designer watches, was stolen from the address.

A murder investigation is being led by Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team.

It is believed there may have been an element of pre-planning involved and officers would urgently like to hear from anyone who may have seen people or vehicles acting suspiciously in the area directly before or during the days or hours leading up to the incident.

Currently it is not thought that the offenders were known to the victim however, detectives continue to investigate all lines of enquiry.

Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Derbyshire, of the MCIT, said: “This was a truly horrific crime and our deepest sympathies go out to Guy’s family and friends. Our thoughts remain with you all.

“I want to reassure the public that we have the best detectives, officers and staff working day and night on this case.

"The violent offenders responsible for this crime are still at large and we are doing everything in our power to bring these individuals to justice.

"I would ask the public to please get in touch with us if you have any information you think may be relevant to this investigation no matter how small you believe it to be. That information could be the key to solving this murder."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting incident number 30:53. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.