'Open mind' on new killing probe

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

Northern Ireland's Deputy Chief Constable Paul Leighton says the police have an open mind on how the 1997 murder of Sean Brown should be reinvestigated.

Recently the Police Ombudsman issued a highly critical report on the original RUC investigation.

Speaking at a policing board meting in Omagh Mr Leighton again accepted there were significant failings.

Mr Brown was shot dead by the LVF. His family say the killing should not be reinvestigated by the PSNI.

Abducted

The 61-year-old was shot dead by the Loyalist Volunteer Force after being abducted outside a GAA club in Bellaghy, County Londonderry.

His body was later found in a burned out car.

In January, 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".

Following the ruling PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde ordered a new investigation into the murder by a special team of detectives.

Mr Brown's family had wanted an outside force to conduct any new inquiry into the killing, which is one of 1,800 unsolved killings during the Troubles.

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