A VIOLENT county murder which has been unresolved for more than a decade is to be reinvestigated.

Steven Brown, 35, was found lying dead in a field near Elphinstone on the morning of Sunday, February 21, 1999. He had been badly beaten and stabbed several times.

Lothian and Borders Police have now launched a major reinvestigation into the murder, which will see a number of lines of enquiry re-examined, while a �5,000 reward is on offer for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for the father-of-three's death.

An emotional plea has been made by Steven's brothers - Colin Brown, 57, William Brown, 48, and Kenneth Brown, 56 - for those who have information to come forward.

In a statement, they said: "It will be 14 years on February 21 that our brother Steven Brown was found murdered in a field.

"No one has ever been brought to justice for this crime, and it is great to see that police have not given up on finding those responsible.

"Steven's murder affected the lives of a lot of innocent people, not least his family. Steven had three daughters, three brothers, a sister, and a mother and a father, and we all deserve to see justice done.

"It has been a difficult time for the family, knowing that there are those in the local community who know what happened to Steven that night.

"It would be a great comfort to us to see the culprits finally convicted, and give our family the closure we so desperately need.

"We have felt that over the years Steven has been forgotten, while those responsible for his death have been allowed to lead their lives as normal.

"We are appealing to people in Tranent who have information regarding Steven's murder to contact the police and help us achieve justice at last." In a separate statement, Steven's ex-partner Wilma Brown, 48, who is mother to his teenage daughter, said: "I am grateful that the police have reopened this enquiry as I have been trying for years to get justice for Steven and for people to tell the truth about his murder.

"Steven never had the opportunity to get to know his daughter, and he never will. He also raised my own son as his own. We would ask people to come forward and tell the truth now, and help us put his memory to rest." Witnesses at the time of the murder reported hearing a disturbance in nearby Kerr Road in Tranent at about midnight the previous evening, involving a large group of men and women.

Police believe that Mr Brown may have been involved and may have sustained his injuries during this disturbance, which will be one of the avenues explored by officers.

Among the other investigations police will be carrying out will be: revisiting key locations and areas that may be of significance; re-interviewing key witnesses; conducting widespread door-to-door enquiries; and speaking to local residents.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Cold Case Review Unit has reviewed the unresolved homicide of Mr Brown and will continue to provide advice and direction where necessary.

While the charity Crimestoppers, which is working with police as part of the reinvestigation, has put up a �5,000 reward.

Leading the investigation is Detective Inspector Gary Boyd, who said: "It is now almost 14 years since Steven Brown was murdered and we are determined to bring those responsible to justice.

"We firmly believe that the key to solving his murder lies in the local community and we are appealing directly to anyone with information to come forward and help Steven's family put his memory to rest.

"We understand that people may have previously been reluctant to approach police with any information they had at the time of his murder; however, as time has passed, people's personal circumstances and loyalties may have changed, and they may now be willing to share any information they have with us.

"An incident room has been established, and detective and uniformed officers will be in the local Tranent area, speaking to witnesses and carrying out door-to-door enquiries.

"Many residents who were living in Tranent in 1999 will still be living and working in the area, and we plan to speak with all those who previously helped with our enquiries in an effort to bring a new focus to this latest investigation." There has been a greater impetus from the Crown Office in recent years to look into cold cases and Mr Brown's is one of a number which are being reinvestigated by police, who believe that new evidence uncovered today could finally lead to a conviction.