Cold-case detectives offer reward for information on murder of Paul McGrath in 1997

Cold-case detectives have offered a £50,000 reward for information about the murder of a man almost 30-years-ago - to help his 85-year-old mother finally come to terms with his death.

Paul McGrath was 34 when he was stabbed repeatedly after a night out in Greater Manchester on 6 April 1997.

He had been for a drink with friends at the Dog and Partridge pub, on Ashton Road, in Ashton-under-Lyne, and afterwards went home alone.

Officers say they believe his killers were searching for one of his acquaintances when they arrived at his house just after midnight. He was attacked and stabbed 18 times in what police say, was a frenzied and targeted attack.

Mr McGrath's body was found by a passing workman at 7.30am the following day lying by the partially open front door of his home on Holland Street West in Denton.

According to detectives Paul was well-liked and respected in the community, and had no known grievances, and they say he was targeted after one of his acquaintances became involved in an ongoing dispute.

Two men were arrested for his murder within two weeks, but were acquitted after a lengthy trial.

Detective Constable Matthew Sharkey from Greater Manchester Police’s Cold Case Unit, said: “We know there are people out there who are able to tell us what they know and what they saw all those years ago.

“Although it was nearly 30 years ago, you can’t just forget what you saw, it will be playing on the mind of someone who knows something, and I hope their conscience will allow them to speak to us after all this time – please come and tell us the truth.

"Your information could help a grieving family know what happened to their beloved son and it is never too late to come forwards.

“All of the work we are doing is to get Vera, Paul’s mother, to finally see her son’s killer or killers brought to justice and help a family finally come to terms with the death of their loved one."

Paul’s sister Gillian is continuing to urge people for their information, not just for her but also for her elderly mother Vera who is 85-years-old.

She said: “I saw my mum bury her son and it was the worst thing in the world to witness.

"My mum, along with the rest of our family, goes to Paul’s grave to lay flowers on his birthday every year and we have done this for the last 27 years.

"We just wish that we knew exactly what happened to our Paul and see those who brutally killed him to be brought to justice.”