This is the moment one-eyed police killer Dale Cregan was smuggled into hospital by armed guards for medical treatment. Cregan, who murdered PC Nicola Hughes, 23, and 32-year-old PC Fiona Bone while on the run for killing two gangland rivals, was escorted to North Manchester General Hospital for pre-planned treatment earlier today. The 31-year-old killer, who is serving a life sentence at HMP Manchester, was led from the hospital wearing a green and yellow prison jumpsuit, with the words 'HM Prison' emblazoned on the back. Scroll down for video . This is the moment one-eyed police killer Dale Cregan was smuggled into hospital by armed guards for a medical check-up North Manchester General Hospital . The  killer, who is serving a life sentence at HMP Manchester, was led from the hospital wearing a green and yellow prison jumpsuit, with the words 'HM Prison' emblazoned on the back, and an orange towel over his head . He also had an orange towel covering his head, seemingly in a bid to conceal his identity. Witnesses at the hospital told how armed officers sealed off the various entrances to the building early this morning. Police marksmen were then seen guarding the hospital's B block, where wards, outpatients services and day surgery facilities are based. Seven police vans and at least one armed response vehicle were also seen parked at the hospital while other uniformed officers patrolled the grounds on foot. Cregan left the hospital at around lunchtime and was then returned to his cell at the prison, formerly known as Strangeways. Cregan, 31, murdered two policewomen in a gun and grenade attack while on the run for killing two gangland rivals . Assistant Chief Constable Zoe Sheard, from Greater Manchester Police, said: 'A prisoner was allowed to attend hospital today, under police escort, in order to undergo pre-planned hospital treatment and has now been safely returned to custody. 'Where prisoners may require hospital treatment, GMP's role is to assist in the safe movement of that prisoner. 'Thorough policing plans are put in place to ensure the safety of members of our communities and we work very closely with the hospital to ensure appropriate security measures are in place to protect both staff and patients.' News of his hospital visit comes weeks after a security operation to get Cregan to hospital was cancelled at the last minute. Cregan murdered Mark Short, 23, and his father David, 46 - the head of a notorious east Manchester crime family - in 2012. While he was on the run for those murders, he killed the police officers in a pre-planned attack by luring them to a house in the Mottram area of the city with a bogus report of a burglary. Cregan, a cocaine dealer from Droylsden, then shot the officers dead before throwing a hand-grenade on their bodies. He is now serving life at Strangeways and has been told he will never be released. Officers were seen guarding the hospital's B block, which is home to wards, outpatients services and day surgery facilities . Police marksmen patrolled the site after officers sealed off the entrances to the hospital early this mornin . During his time in jail so far, Cregan has proved to be a testing prisoner. At one stage, he went on 'hunger strike' at having to serve his sentence at HMP Full Sutton in Yorkshire. He went to Ashworth High Security Hospital in Merseyside for assessment before being returned to Strangeways. And just a few weeks ago it was reported that Cregan was in segregation after being caught for taking drugs in his high security prison cell. Murders: The killing of PC Fiona Bone, left, and PC Nicola Hughes, right in an ambush by Cregan shocked Britain . After Cregan was jailed in 2013, it emerged that gangland rivals had put a £20,000 contract out on Cregan to take out his good right eye. He allegedly told his friends he lost his left eye in a fight in Thailand. A spokesman for the Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust, which runs North Manchester General Hospital, said: 'We are unable to disclose details or comment regarding the care or treatment of individual patients.' A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: 'We cannot comment on individual prisoners or security issues.'
31-year-old was escorted to North Manchester General Hospital this morning .
He was seen wearing a prison jumpsuit and an orange towel over his head .
Officers sealed off entrances as police marksmen  guarded one of the blocks .
He was later returned to HMP Manchester, where he is serving life sentence .
Cregan killed two police officers while on run for killing two gangland rivals .
This is the moment one-eyed police killer Dale Cregan was smuggled into hospital by armed guards for medical treatment. Cregan, who murdered PC Nicola Hughes, 23, and 32-year-old PC Fiona Bone while on the run for killing two gangland rivals, was escorted to North Manchester General Hospital for pre-planned treatment earlier today. The 31-year-old killer, who is serving a life sentence at HMP Manchester, was led from the hospital wearing a green and yellow prison jumpsuit, with the words 'HM Prison' emblazoned on the back. Scroll down for video . This is the moment one-eyed police killer Dale Cregan was smuggled into hospital by armed guards for a medical check-up North Manchester General Hospital . The  killer, who is serving a life sentence at HMP Manchester, was led from the hospital wearing a green and yellow prison jumpsuit, with the words 'HM Prison' emblazoned on the back, and an orange towel over his head . He also had an orange towel covering his head, seemingly in a bid to conceal his identity. Witnesses at the hospital told how armed officers sealed off the various entrances to the building early this morning. Police marksmen were then seen guarding the hospital's B block, where wards, outpatients services and day surgery facilities are based. Seven police vans and at least one armed response vehicle were also seen parked at the hospital while other uniformed officers patrolled the grounds on foot. Cregan left the hospital at around lunchtime and was then returned to his cell at the prison, formerly known as Strangeways. Cregan, 31, murdered two policewomen in a gun and grenade attack while on the run for killing two gangland rivals . Assistant Chief Constable Zoe Sheard, from Greater Manchester Police, said: 'A prisoner was allowed to attend hospital today, under police escort, in order to undergo pre-planned hospital treatment and has now been safely returned to custody. 'Where prisoners may require hospital treatment, GMP's role is to assist in the safe movement of that prisoner. 'Thorough policing plans are put in place to ensure the safety of members of our communities and we work very closely with the hospital to ensure appropriate security measures are in place to protect both staff and patients.' News of his hospital visit comes weeks after a security operation to get Cregan to hospital was cancelled at the last minute. Cregan murdered Mark Short, 23, and his father David, 46 - the head of a notorious east Manchester crime family - in 2012. While he was on the run for those murders, he killed the police officers in a pre-planned attack by luring them to a house in the Mottram area of the city with a bogus report of a burglary. Cregan, a cocaine dealer from Droylsden, then shot the officers dead before throwing a hand-grenade on their bodies. He is now serving life at Strangeways and has been told he will never be released. Officers were seen guarding the hospital's B block, which is home to wards, outpatients services and day surgery facilities . Police marksmen patrolled the site after officers sealed off the entrances to the hospital early this mornin . During his time in jail so far, Cregan has proved to be a testing prisoner. At one stage, he went on 'hunger strike' at having to serve his sentence at HMP Full Sutton in Yorkshire. He went to Ashworth High Security Hospital in Merseyside for assessment before being returned to Strangeways. And just a few weeks ago it was reported that Cregan was in segregation after being caught for taking drugs in his high security prison cell. Murders: The killing of PC Fiona Bone, left, and PC Nicola Hughes, right in an ambush by Cregan shocked Britain . After Cregan was jailed in 2013, it emerged that gangland rivals had put a £20,000 contract out on Cregan to take out his good right eye. He allegedly told his friends he lost his left eye in a fight in Thailand. A spokesman for the Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust, which runs North Manchester General Hospital, said: 'We are unable to disclose details or comment regarding the care or treatment of individual patients.' A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: 'We cannot comment on individual prisoners or security issues.'
while on the run for killing two gangland rivals, was escorted to North Manchester General Hospital 31-year-old killer, who is serving a life hospital wearing a green and yellow prison on the back, and an orange towel over his head . early this morning. Police marksmen were then sealed off the entrances to the hospital early