After three long years of police investigation, Wayne Trotter's killers have not been found. LOUISA BARNETT visits Hertfordshire Constabulary headquarters to meet the officers still trying to solve his murder.

It was one of the most shocking and horrific murders the town has ever seen.

The brutal killing of 30-year-old father of two Wayne Trotter, who was doused in petrol and set alight in Farriers Way estate on the night of December 5, 2002, will always be remembered by people in Borehamwood.

And despite numerous leads, arrests, evidence gathering and hours of sifting through thousands of statements, those leading the investigation are still searching for those vital clues that will lead to the answer they need to put this case to bed and see justice served.

The Trotter murder is Hertfordshire Constabulary's longest running unsolved case.

Detective Superintendent Ken Bell, senior investigating officer in the case, said: "This enquiry is unique in so many ways.

"When dealing with a murder or serious offence, there are a number of methods we can use to examine the way someone has been killed, or why.

"This is so unique in that there's nothing recorded anywhere or no similar type of offence where a perfectly innocent individual has been killed in this way.

"It's extremely rare."

Throughout the investigations, more than 2,500 leads have been followed, 1,600 houses have been visited mainly in Borehamwood, 1,700 exhibits' have been recovered and examined, 750 statements have been taken and six people have been arrested, and later released without charge due to lack of evidence.

Detective Inspector Michael Hanlon, the deputy senior investigating officer, said: "The public perception is that such incidents are solved in a couple of days like they see on television dramas.

"The murder takes place in the first part and by the second part it's all done and dusted. But it doesn't always work like that.

"This case is so complex and we don't want to miss a single thing. There are still lines of enquiry we want to exhaust and I want to make sure we've exhausted every possible thing we can.

"The immediate days and weeks after the murder, the amount of information we received from the public was huge, which was great.

"There have been a number of twists and turns but the amount of information we are getting from the public has almost dried up.

"It's unusual to have a case go on this long. This is a very strange case and is quite possibly a completely random incident.

"Usually, the murder is committed by someone known to the deceased or is domestic."

At Hertfordshire Constabulary, there are three teams who deal with all murders and other serious crimes such as rapes which take place in the county.

Since Wayne's death, more than 250 officers have worked on the investigation, named Operation Refit, which has been classed as a category A case the highest in the investigation process.

The team works on a system called Holmes (Home Office Large Major Enquiry System), set up by the Government, which they use to log every single lead, suspect statement and other information such as the names and telephone numbers of every person they speak to.

This national database was set up to enable police to access information across forces, after serious flaws were revealed in the Yorkshire Ripper investigation where vital information was missed.

Those working on Wayne's case are a mixture of police officers and civilian staff.

Information is given to someone called an indexer who makes sure all of it is properly recorded on the system. In a stringent system of checks and balances, all of this information is then read by the office manager, Sergeant Phil Miller, to ensure nothing has been missed.

It is then passed on to the senior investigating officers where all leads are investigated.

But Det Supt Bell says that what makes this case so difficult is the apparent absence of a motive.

"We've researched into Wayne's background, and that of all his family, and there's nothing anywhere that we've found that would give someone a reason," he said.

"Wayne was a respectable, well-liked family man and that's what makes this so hard, not only for us, but for his family.

"We understand the frustration of Vicky Wayne's mother and we appreciate all the help she has given us.

"She lost her son in the most horrific of circumstances and I can only admire her tremendously."

For now, as no new leads have been received from the public despite a fresh appeal on the third anniversary of his death, the investigations have moved from why Wayne was killed to how he was killed, and the officers have enlisted the help of experts to do this.

The London Fire Brigade are currently working on identifying what type of petrol was used and the additives it contained. They are also liaising with burns specialists to assess in greater depth the injuries Wayne sustained in a bid to find out exactly how he was set on fire.

Forensic experts are also re-examining evidence found at the scene, thanks to developments in forensic science.

Det Supt Bell, who worked as a special investigations officer for the Metropolitan police before joining Hertfordshire in 2004 to head the major crime unit, added: "We've got some reasonably positive leads in terms of forensic evidence but they require long-term scientific analysis.

"We can't afford to be sloppy. Everything needs to be done properly and that takes time. We don't want to miss an opportunity.

"We're trying to work out how he was killed, as opposed to why, trying to interpret the patterns of his injuries etc.

"The forensics hold the key and that's what we're waiting for at the moment.

"Unfortunately, the longer the time goes on, the less memory people have and the less interest they have. As I've said before, this case will never ever go away.

"Even if it gets to the point where it's impossible to solve, we will continue to work on this and I remain optimistic we won't be reaching the fourth anniversary still with no answers."

If you have any information about Wayne's murder, no matter how big or small, call the incident appeal line on 01707 354236 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

The reward for anyone giving information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible has been doubled to £20,000.