THE hunt for the killer who gunned down a man in cold blood at a Trafford takeaway eight years ago has been ramped up.

Halton McCollin was shot in the back of the head in China Garden takeaway, Chester Road, just before 9pm on January 19 2008.

He was rushed to hospital but sadly died three days later, on the same day that he and his older sister were supposed to be boarding a plane to Barbados to visit their grandmother.

Police believe Halton was murdered as he was mistaken for somebody else.

The murder weapon, a silver revolver, was later found when officers searched a house on Parrs Wood Road in May 2008 as part of an unconnected investigation.

Earlier today, Thursday June 16, a reconstruction of Halton’s murder was shown on BBC’s Crimewatch Road Show.

Based on information previously released by GMP, the reconstruction showed three men walking down the alley at the side of the Gorse Hill pub after parking the car at the back.

One of the men is then seen to walk left, away from the China Garden.

The other two walk towards the door of the takeaway.

The gunman then fired three shots into the takeaway, causing Halton and his friends, as well as the couple who owned the restaurant, to run for cover.

As he ran away however one of the bullets hit Halton in his head causing injuries that he never recovered from.

A £50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman was offered and remains available to anybody who comes forward.

Martin Bottomley of GMP’s Cold Case Unit said: “Halton was an innocent young man with his whole future ahead of him, whose life was cruelly taken just over eight years ago as he waited in a takeaway with friends.

“The passage of time has in no way lessened the pain that his family and friends feel to this day and they are desperate for answers and to see the man responsible for this cowardly act brought to justice.

“What will have undoubtedly changed in that time is allegiances that people with information will have towards each other.

“Some of them may have walked away from that lifestyle and started a new life, free of crime and be in a position where they feel more comfortable talking to police.

“I would urge these people to think of the pain that Halton’s loved ones continue to feel every single day in their search for closure and ask that they come forward, either directly to police or via Crimestoppers, anonymously.

“We have not closed this investigation and we never will until those people responsible face the consequences of what they did and I would continue to urge anybody with information to please come forward.”