THE young son of a former Burnley businessman shot dead by robbers in South Africa still believes his dad is alive.

Three-year-old Gregory Picton- Turbervill was playing with his three sisters when robbers burst into their heavily- armoured house in Pretoria and shot his dad, Fred, in the eye.

The youngster later told a family friend: "They are going to fix my daddy".

Police chiefs in Pretoria say they have "intensified" their hunt for the killers of the 46-year-old dad-of-six at his home in the suburb of Waterkloopf Ridge on Saturday night.

Captain Lucas Sithole, South African police spokesman, said: "We have intensified our investigations.

"We are still investigating a number of leads within the community and are asking anyone who has any information about the incident, which could assist us in the positive prosecution of this case, to come forward.

"Our investigators are working around the clock to try and make an arrest, but we are not disclosing too many details about the investigation so we do not compromise our position too much."

Mr Picton-Turbervill, a father-of-six, emigrated to South Africa three years ago after running a successful furniture design business in Burnley.

He was killed in front of his young children during a violent robbery, when intruders burst into their home, demanding valuables.

Despite apparently co-operating with the raiders, and pleading with them not to hurt their children Samantha, 10, Bryony, nine, Natasha, six, and Gregory, three, he was shot in the eye by one of the men.

His wife, Ursula, sought help from neighbours, and param-edics tried to save his life, but he died after being taken to a nearby hospital. Gregory later told a family friend: "They are going to fix my daddy."

The robbers fled with a laptop, four cellphones and about 1,000 South African rand in cash.

Police chiefs are investigating how the robbers managed to penetrate the heavily-fortified compound.

The couple, whose first three children are believed to have been born in Burnley, were aware of the Pretorian suburb's reputation as a high-crime area.

Electric fencing and two-metre high walls surround their home, in the same area as the home of South Africa's chief of police, Jackie Selebi.

The Picton-Turbervill family is well-known in the Bridgend area of South Wales, where most of the dead man's family still live.

On Tuesday, Mr Picton-Turbervill's son, Jamie, 21, from a previous marriage and his mother, Cathryn, arrived from Britain for the funeral, due to take place tomorrow.