POLICE IN NORTHERN Ireland have launched a £10,000 reward for information about the murder of 68-year-old Mike Kerr on the first anniversary of his death.

A murder investigation was launched last year after the pensioner’s body was discovered inside his home in Birch Drive, Bangor, Co Down on 19 November last year.

He suffered skull and facial fractures in the attack, his body showed no sign of defensive injuries and he was “likely to have been utterly defenceless in the face of the violence he faced”, the PSNI said at the time.

There was no sign of forced entry to his house and police said that they did not believe his death was caused by a paramilitary-style attack or that it was sexually motivated.

One theory was that Kerr was attacked because he disturbed intruders in his home or that he was murdered because of a personal vendetta.

PSNI believe that he was murdered sometime between 2pm on Sunday 17 November – when he was last seen – and the morning of  Monday 18 November, when he failed to leave the house according to his normal routine.

Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Shaw described him as “a defenceless older man” who was subjected to a vicious and cruel attack.

Police still believe that answers to the murder lie within the community, and have appealed to the public for help.

“Mike’s killers would have had bloodstained clothes and you may have noticed someone you know acting strangely,” Shaw said.

“I am appealing to the public to help us remove whoever murdered Mike from their community by bringing any information they have to either the police or to Crimestoppers.

“If anyone has any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, detectives can be contacted at the Major Investigation team.”

Members of the public are urged to contact Crimestoppers, or by using a non-emergency reporting form on the PSNI website.