A FATHER demanding answers about police involvement in the stripping of parts from his dead son's motorbike now hopes a criminal investigation will shed light on the truth.

Thomas Killoran (47), of Bolton Road, Radcliffe, lost his son 25-year-old son Anthony in September 1995, when his Yamaha bike collided with a car in Newport, Gwent.

After the machine was recovered by police contractors, Mr Killoran claimed it was sold on illegally. When the bike was retrieved by him several weeks later, parts were missing.

Auditors have since been called in to investigate a contract between the firm, Walls Truck Services and Gwent Police amid complaints from the public and other contractors.

Now a criminal inquiry has now been launched by Gwent Police, after the audit investigation was suspended due to "the serious nature of the issues arising".

Mr Killoran said he will also pursue a private prosecution for theft and conspiracy against the firm's owner John Wall, and an employee of the firm, the son of a Gwent Police officer, who bought the bike and sold it on. He said: "I want moral justice for my son. This is not a vendetta about me trying to claim as much compensation as I can, because quite honestly Anthony was priceless. This is about a thread of principle."

Mr Killoran also plans to bring civil proceedings against Greater Manchester Police, who he alleges refused to log a report that the bike was stolen.

In his quest for justice, Mr Killoran has spent more than £57,000 in solicitors' fees and other costs and has remortgaged his home.

He said: "It's virtually bankrupted me but if I've got to beg steal or borrow I'm not giving up at all, I refuse point blank.

"At the end of the day I've got to get closure on this and lay the ghost of Anthony Killoran to rest."

Last week Mr Killoran travelled to a BBC Question Time show in Swansea where he met Plaid Cymru party leader Mr Leuan Wyn Jones to seek his support.

The grieving father has also written to Home Office Minister Paul Boateng who said that while the disposal of the bike had been "clearly improper" no further action could be taken by police.

A spokeswoman for Gwent police said: "Mr Killoran has made a number of complaints relating to his son's death and both the Crown Prosecution Service and Gwent Police have reviewed the files on several occasions.

"The contractors agreed that they should pay reasonable compensation to Mr Killoran as administrator of the estate of his son, and Mr Killoran has not pursued this with the contractor, to our knowledge.

"The disposal of the motorcycle after the accident was not in accordance with the contract and the contractors were interviewed. The CPS decided there should be no criminal proceedings relating to the disposal. There are ongoing inquiries into the police contract generally."

Greater Manchester Police said that there had already been an investigation into the issues raised by Mr Killoran about his statement, but that the complaint had not been substantiated.