Cover up denied in murder probe

Sean Brown's body was found in a burned out car

A new police investigation into a murder by loyalist paramilitaries is not a cover up, the Northern Ireland chief constable, Hugh Orde has said.

Sean Brown, 61, was shot dead by the Loyalist Volunteer Force after being abducted outside a GAA club in Bellaghy, County Londonderry, in 1997.

On Monday, the office of Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan said it had upheld two complaints from Mr Brown's family about the RUC inquiry into his murder.

These were that the investigation had not been "efficiently and property carried out" and that "no earnest effort was made to identify those who had carried out the murder".

A special team of PSNI detectives has now been set up to reinvestigate the case.

Speaking on Friday, Mr Orde said because there was no evidence of collusion it was the right thing for his officers to carry out the new investigation.

"It could have been done a lot better, we have fully accepted the recommendations of the ombudsman," he said.

Mr Orde says there is no evidence of collusion

"What that includes is a statement, a clear statement, from the Ombudsman. There is no evidence at all of collusion in that case.

"Had there been evidence of collusion I would have given consideration without doubt to an external inquiry."

On Monday, Mr Brown's son, Damian, said they were demanding an independent inquiry into his father's murder.

No-one has been charged with the murder, which is one of more than 1,800 unsolved killings during the Troubles.

Mr Brown was killed by the LVF, which was formed by Billy Wright, who broke away from the Ulster Volunteer Force after that organisation declared its 1994 ceasefire.

Wright was shot dead in the Maze Prison in December 1997.