Family of a man shot dead by police are still haunted by his death. Simon Murden was shot by Humberside Police firearms in 2005. He was suffering a psychotic episode and was driving the wrong way down the A63 near North Cave.

THE mother of a young man shot dead by police five years ago today says her family are still haunted by his tragic death.

Simon Murden, 26, was shot six times by two Humberside Police firearms officers on the morning of March 22, 2005.

Simon Murden
Simon's parents and brother, Dorothy, Jonathan and David Murden

The Beverley charity worker was suffering a psychotic episode and had been driving the wrong way down the A63, near North Cave, before walking towards the officers carrying three African swords.

An inquest into his death held in March 2008 cleared the officers of any wrongdoing.

Now, on the five year anniversary of Simon's death, Mr Murden's family have told the Mail the way he was killed still affects them all.

Simon's mother Dorothy Murden, who lives in Beverley, said: "The shock and horror of Simon's death continues to haunt us all daily.

"The heartache and depth of grief is still spoiling almost every situation of normal joy a family can experience.

"I wake every morning about the time Simon was shot without fail.

"I have to read, I have to deliberately set my head against thinking about it, because when I start to go there it's horrendous to think about what happened to him on that morning, and the innocence of him, what they did to him, all those shots.

"My lovely son was ill and he was killed in such a brutal way, it's so hard."

Simon had just returned from Africa when he was killed.

He had been working overseas for his father's charity, the And Albert Foundation, which raises money to help projects abroad including in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Speaking to the Mail, Humberside Police Assistant Chief Constable Alan Leaver said the incident was investigated fully at the inquest and the verdict proved the officers were justified in the action they took.

Mr Leaver told the Mail the shooting will never be forgotten.

He said: "Five years on it's not over, it will never ever be over for the principal police officers who were involved, they will live with this for the rest of their lives. It will always be a huge incident and episode in the history of Humberside Police."