THE wife and mother of murdered Stuart Gaskell are in fear for their lives in South Africa.

Stuart's step-father Edgar Park told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph his wife Sheila and daughter-in-law Estelle were frightened because the robbers who shot dead Stuart also took personal effects from them and they fear they may come back for the only witnesses to the callous crime.

Mrs Park's holiday in Cape Town ended in a nightmare and Mr Park, of Eddie's Bakery, Manchester Road, Burnley, said: "It is so frustrating - I just feel so helpless."

Last Friday Estelle, 25, found out she was pregnant with the couple's first child, Mrs Park's first grandchild. When they went to tell Stuart they stumbled across the armed robbery at his workplace Value Truck Company,

Mrs Park, 52, and Estelle were left bound and gagged in a container lorry and they heard the two shots which killed Stuart, 26. Mr Park said: "Since they repealed the death penalty in South Africa 12 months ago, murder and rape has become common place. Life is so cheap out there.

"I don't know why they killed Stuart, perhaps because he was not coloured, or maybe he caught a glimpse of their faces and they feared he may identify them. Murder for just £23,000."

Mr Park said he had been told the police in South Africa were so underfunded one officer had to buy his own computer to do necessary clerical work. Others did overtime knowing they were unlikely to be paid.

He said: "My heart reaches out for them. They are employed to do a job but not being given the resources to carry that job out."

He said he had been criticised by some people in South Africa for "blowing out of all proportion" what had happened to Stuart, but he added: "How can you get murder out of proportion?"

Stuart was brought up in Burnley and lived with Estelle in Bacup for four years before they emigrated seven months ago. The funeral will be on Friday with a service and cremation at Maitland Crematorium in Cape Town. A remembrance service will be held in Burnley after Mrs Park returns home on February 17.

Estelle is likely to remain living in South Africa where her parents and brother have lived for about six years.

Superintendant John Sterrenberg, communications officer for West Cape police, said: "Our investigation is proceeding. You can follow up nine inquiries and they end up a dead alleys, but the tenth one provides the answer you were looking for. We are still following up information that has come in."

A reward of £7,000 has been offered for information about the murder.

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