Fresh bid to find father's killer

Mr Buckley died a week after he the alleged incident

Teams of detectives have been on the streets of Swinton town centre overnight in the search for witnesses to the murder of Frank Buckley.

The 47-year-old father-of-two was kicked and stamped to death following a family celebration two weeks ago.

He was attacked by a gang of up to twelve people as three generations of his family waited for taxis at the end of a birthday night out.

A mobile police unit stayed open all night outside Yates Wine Lodge.

'Women attacked'

Mr Buckley had been waiting in a taxi queue after a night out at an Italian restaurant and Yates's Wine Lodge, when he was set upon.

On Friday, Mr Buckley's brother, Geoff, paid tribute to the father-of-two.

"It's just a nightmare. The shock, horror, of having to go though it all.

Geoff Buckley said the family were going through a nightmare

"One of the lads, a 47-year-old bloke who said 'I don't want any trouble', was knocked out straight away," he told a news conference.

"They beat women up, threw them around, that's what happened."

Mr Buckley said it was a completely unprovoked attack, and Frank Buckley was the type of person who would not have invited trouble.

"He did everything with his family. He wasn't the type of person who'd go off to the pub on his own, he'd take the family.

"He was building for the future, which has been taken away now."

Mr Buckley was described by his widow Christina, 42, as a "peacemaker" who never started any trouble.

Police say Frank Buckley bore the brunt of the attack, with one of the gang repeatedly stamping on his head. A 72-year-old woman was knocked unconscious, a spokesman said.

A total of six people have now been arrested as part of the investigation and four people remain on police bail pending further enquiries.

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the incident to come forward.