NICOSIA - A 22-year-old man was shot dead early on Saturday in his car which was parked off the road going to Ayious Trimithias, police said.

Andreas Papadopoulos seems to have been shot at a very close range, according to preliminary investigations.  The young man was found dead by a passer-by who happened to stop where the car was parked at around 4:30am.

Neither the victim's home or place of work are nearby the murder area, said a police officer who also disclosed the young man had troubled them in the past.