THE family of a man murdered 24 years ago have offered a £50,000 reward to anyone who can help bring those responsible to justice.

Paul Logan, of Blackhill, Consett, was found dead on farmland near Shotley Bridge in the early hours of Christmas Eve, 1993.

The 25-year-old delivery driver had been lured to Blue House Farm on the pretext of delivering takeaway food, but when he arrived at the property just before 10pm on December 23, 1993, the homeowners told him they had not ordered anything.

 

Later that night, the homeowners noticed Mr Logan’s cream Peugeot car was still at the end of the lane leading up to their home, despite thinking he had already left.

This followed a hoax call made from a phone box at the junction of Snows Green Road and Benfieldside Road in Shotley Bridge.

 

When police discovered Mr Logan’s car it was empty with the lights still on and the doors open.

Officers searched the area and discovered his body about 50 yards away– he had suffered severe head injuries which resulted in his death.

The reward, which is offered for information which leads to a successful conviction, follows a renewed appeal for information made on the anniversary of his death last year.

David Logan, Paul’s brother, said: “There is not a day goes by where Paul isn’t in our thoughts. Just because 24 years have passed, we still haven’t moved on. We live with this every day.

“Someone out there knows what happened to Paul and we are hoping this reward will be enough to encourage anyone who remembers even the smallest detail to come forward and help us get the closure our family deserves and to secure justice for Paul.”

Northumbria Police said it is leading the investigation and working closely with Durham Constabulary to identify and bring Paul’s killers to justice.

Detective Inspector Dave English, from Northumbria Police’s homicide and major enquiry team, is hopeful the reward will encourage people to come forward and help the force find those responsible.

He said: “While no sum of money will ever bring Paul back, we hope that a financial incentive like this is enough to encourage even the most hesitant person to come forward and share what they know, no matter how big, small or insignificant that information may seem.

“We understand a lot has happened over the past 23 years. People have grown up, moved and might have forgotten all about this horrific crime. But one group of people will never move on and that’s Paul’s family, who are still searching for answers.

"Despite his children now being grown adults with their own families, they have grown up without really knowing their father and no child should have to go through that.

"Although this happened on the borders of Northumbria and Durham, enquiries have spread throughout the country. We believe there are a number of people who know something about what happened that night and we would urge them to speak to us.

"This enquiry may be 24 years old but we are absolutely determined to catch whoever carried out this vicious attack and bring them to justice."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555111 or online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org