New appeal over boy killed in 1997 house fire

Joe McCafferty (right) and his older brother Nicky (left) were staying with their aunt and cousins when the house was set alight

The mother of a seven-year-old boy who died in a suspected arson attack 27 years ago has vowed to "carry on" until her son's killer is caught.

Joe McCafferty was sleeping at his aunt's house in Huddersfield when the property was set alight in the early hours of 3 May 1997.

His aunt, cousins and older brother Nicky managed to escape the home, but Joe died from his injuries on the way to hospital.

Police issued a renewed appeal for information about the case on the BBC's Crimewatch Live on Monday.

Joe's mum, Tracey McCafferty, who had left her sons with her sister while she went away for a few days, told Crimewatch how "half of me died with (Joe)".

"My world just fell apart," she said.

"I'm going to carry on until I find who's done this to my son."

Tracey McCafferty said she believed her son's killer had "no emotions or conscience"

She said: "Whoever's done this can't have emotions or a conscience. They nearly killed a whole family.

"I just can't comprehend how somebody could do that.

"I do hope somebody comes forward. Twenty-seven years is far too long for any parent to be waiting to find out who killed their son."

No-one has ever been charged with killing Joe and police said they had never been able to establish a motive for why somebody would target the family.

Investigators later recovered a plastic container, labelled as having originally stored engine oil, which they believe was used to pour petrol into the house from outside.

Det Ch Insp Damian Roebuck said: "We still have no concrete motive for why this fire was set.

"We can't get to the bottom of why such a callous act would have taken place.

"The person involved must have confided in somebody about this.

"Twenty-seven years is a long time to think about this.

"Come forward and give us that name. Let's have justice for Joe and his family."

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