Police offering £50,000 reward for information on murder 30 years ago

Police are offering a £50,000 reward for information related the murder of a Nottingham taxi driver shot dead at the wheel three decades ago. 

Detectives are re-investigating the murder of Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor, who died aged 26 after he was shot in his taxi on Tuesday November 22, 1994.

Known to his friends and family as Shami, Mr Ghafoor was found by a milkman at 4:30am at Lambley Lane playing fields in Gedling, Nottingham, with his hands tied and bound to the steering wheel. 

Mr Ghafoor, of Forest Fields, was expecting his first baby with his wife before he was shot in what police described as an 'execution'. 

On the 30th anniversary of Mr Ghafoor's death, a dedicated team of detectives has been re-investigating the crime in a bid to provide his family, and the daughter he never got the chance to meet, with the answers they need. 

The last known sighting of Mr Ghafoor was just after 2am on November 22 in Carlton Square, where he was seen with three Asian men in his black and white Ford Sierra. 

He was later found in the secluded area, which was not a location usually used by taxi drivers for pick-ups and drop-offs, police say. 

The weapon used to take his life has never been recovered, but police believe there may be new evidence available through forensic testing. 

A number of people were arrested following the murder, but none were convicted of the crime.

Police hope new evidence and information from the public may help to track down those responsible. 

Mr Ghafoor's sister, Aisha Ghafoor, said the people responsible for his death 'killed every chance of us being a happy family again'.

She told a press conference held on Friday: 'We as a family still remember the moment when police officers broke the news to us that our brother, Shami, had been murdered. Even after the passing of 30 years, the feelings are still raw. 

'Our mother never recovered from his loss. She never got to find out who or why Shami was killed and sadly she never will'. 

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin said that Mr Ghafoor was 'probably associating with some members of the criminal fraternity'.

'I don't think he was involved in organised crime, but I do think he got himself involved with people who were, and probably found himself out of his depth,' he said. 

'This was a dreadful murder of a young man, a soon-to-be-dad, who was executed in his own taxi in a secluded area of Nottinghamshire.  

'At the heart of this horrific crime is a family; a family that have waited 30 years for answers, 30 years for justice, 30 years for the closure they rightfully deserve.

'Shami's mum never got that closure. She died never knowing why her eldest son's life was taken so cruelly from her. Shami's daughter was born without a dad, forced to live with other people's anecdotes of him, never having any of her own.

'Shami's brothers and sisters, who have shown immense bravery and are supporting our appeal, live with the pain and loss of their brother's death every day.

'We stand beside them and want exactly the same - to ensure those who took his life are found and put behind bars. I would ask the community to do the same. To put themselves in Shami's family's shoes.

'Shami's family can never move on with their lives without answers and you could be sitting on the very answers they require.

'We know that there will be people out there that know what happened, that have that information.

'We know that Shami was probably associating with some members of the criminal fraternity. I don't think he was involved in organised crime, but I do think he got himself involved with people who were and probably found himself out of his depth. This is why I think he was killed.

'We know that loyalties change over the years, and this is exactly what we are relying on. We are hoping that people that felt they were not able to speak out all that time ago will feel differently now and feel able to come forward.

'Now is the time to act, to pick up the phone, anonymously, if need be, and provide us with information.

'While a number of reviews of this terrible crime have been carried out over the last 30 years, unfortunately his killer or killers have never been caught.

'We have been working closely with Shami's family over the last 18 months, during which time I have personally met with them several times. I have explained to them why we have put together a new team of senior detectives, a fresh pair of eyes, to ensure that no stone is left unturned and that all new and existing avenues are explored.

'We are now calling on the community for their help and assistance to ensure that this crime does not go unsolved.

It is not the first time cash has been offered in exchange for information. On the 20th anniversary of Mr Ghafoor's death, a reward of up to £20,000 was offered. 

The £50,000 reward, which is being offered by Crimestoppers, is available for three months, and will be given for information which leads to a conviction. 

Crimestoppers are appealing to the public to contact them anonymously if they have any information