A £20,000 reward for information about the mystery killing of two Balham workmates in a botched gangland shooting 10 years ago is being offered by detectives.

Michael McCormack, 59, and John Ogden, 34, were each shot once in the head in Cavendish Road at 2.10pm on October 21, 1994, by a hitman apparently waiting for them in a caf.

Mr McCormack, who was director of a nearby family-owned printing business Indexing Company and Mr Ogden, his works manager, were killed instantly.

The killer fled in a white Vauxhall Cavalier parked in nearby Weir Road. It was later found burnt out in Herne Hill, south-east London.

But after years of unproven rumours about the cold-blooded murders being linked to loyalist terrorists and turf warfare over drugs, officers from the Serious Crime Squad are no closer to finding their murderers.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Cundy, who was due to make a fresh appeal for witnesses on BBC Crimewatch UK last night, said he hoped the reward would encourage people with insider information to come forward.

He said: "I believe these horrific murders were a case of mistaken identity and have had a devastating impact on the families of both men.

"I would hope someone with inside information will come forward with the evidence we need to prosecute those responsible."

Witnesses at the time told police how the killer wore black leather gloves while having a sandwich and a cup of tea in the Sandwich Shop caf on the day of the murder.

When the two men emerged from the nearby Prince of Wales pub, the hitman immediately left the caf and shot them with a Colt.45 automatic.

His getaway car was later found with £1,500 cash inside and traced to the false name of a family in Catford.

Police have reissued the E-fit drawn up by witnesses at the time.

The suspect was described as about 26, 5ft 10in and was wearing a three-quarter length green jacket, blue jeans, red baseball cap and white Reebok trainers.

The white Vauxhall Cavalier had a registration number D880 MYG.

Claims in a national newspaper the killings were a punishment for reneging on a deal to supply £20million of counterfeit bank notes to loyalist terrorists from Northern Ireland were dismissed at the time.

Police say the men were honest, hardworking and had no links to the criminal underworld.

Anyone with information should contact the incident room at Pat Dunne House, Sutton, on 020 8721 4005.