Mother pleads for help to catch her son's killers

6:43pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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THE heartbroken mother of a promising young Stretford footballer shot dead in a takeaway has pleaded with the public to help police catch his killers.

Anne McCollin, 52, mother of 20-year-old Halton McCollin, spoke movingly today, July 22, six months on from his murder.

She described her son as a “passing angel” and made a heartfelt mother-to-mother plea for the parents of his killers to come forward.

Anne, a care home nurse manager, said: “I am a mother and I would ask the parents of the killers to search their consciences. They must have an idea of what their children have done. I just hope that with time we get justice. I want these murderers to be caught.“ Call centre worker Halton, a former pupil at Parrs Wood High School who played football for Flixton FC, was hit in the back of the head by a single bullet on January 19 after two masked men burst into the China Garden takeaway on Chester Road.

Halton, who was with friends at the time, died in hospital three days later. Tragically, he was due to leave for a family holiday to Barbados on the day of his death. The gunmen escaped in a dark blue Vectra at 8.45pm.

Police said Halton, who was not a gang member, could have been the victim of mistaken identity.

Speaking for the first time today, Anne said: “The last six months have been a surreal situation.

“I, like any other person or parent, would turn on the television and hear about a stabbing or a shooting. It is still going on. New deaths happen all the time - and this has happened to me. I have become a victim of this culture of crime that we are all living in. It hurts and I feel powerless.

“Halton was a passing angel. If I had realised I would have only had him for 20 years I would have fitted a lot more in.I just want to say to the families of these men, please come forward. I want them to come forward and help us.They have taken away my son's life and they have ruined their own lives. They cannot turn the clock back.“ A reward of £20,000 is available for information leading to a conviction. Detectives said it was “likely” his killers have gangland connections.

Two masked men were seen running towards the takeaway from an alley before the shooting. A third walked up a road past the Gorse Hill pub before two of them ran into the takeaway and fired.

Police also revealed the murder may be linked to a shooting on Talbot Road in Stretford days before. The gunmen in that incident escaped in a similar car.

Anne added: “This is a community that we all live in. We all want to open our front doors and feel safe. My message to these people who murdered my son is please come forward. Have some compassion.I also appeal to anyone who knows who has done it to come forward. It has not got any easier with time. It is very hard. Each day just draws into another day. My biggest appeal however is to the families of these murderers. Please help us by helping the police.”