THE family of a man who was jailed for life after murdering his neighbour today revealed they plan to appeal against his conviction.

Daniel Holden, 38, of Clarence Street, Darwen, denied bludgeoning his 41-year-old neighbour David Spencer to death at his home on March 8 1996 after an argument over a leather jacket but was sentenced after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

His mum, Jean Stephenson, who now lives in Bury, has maintained her son's innocence and said she will fight for his release even though he does not want to speak to her.

She said: "Five years in prison must be difficult when you are guilty but must produce feelings of anger and frustration if you are innocent which can only be guessed by people who have not experienced it.

"He doesn't even want to know about me because he can't understand why we haven't been able to get him released before now so he fell out with me and doesn't want to speak to me.

"There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about him. Everybody who knows him knows he is innocent. This is going to be a long, slow process."

In an emotional appeal to the public for anyone with new information to come forward, Daniel's uncle, Dave, who lives in Cumbria, said: "I'm certain there are people who know more on the death than has been revealed."

Solicitor David Philpott said he had sent past papers to Dartmoor for Daniel to read and comment on but said he was only in the first stages of the appeal process.

Holden battered David Spencer to death eight months after he was released from Whittingham Hospital's Langdale medium secure unit, prompting an inquiry. Health chiefs later said an action plan was being drawn up to ensure there was no repeat after it was revealed one of the reasons for his release was because hospital staff found him "large and threatening."