JURORS at the Dillon Hull murder trial were told Billy Webb had met the dead child's stepfather to discuss drug deals.

Five-year-old Dillon was shot dead on August 6, 1997, as he walked home, hand-in-hand with his step-father John Bates.

A single bullet wound to the head claimed the life of the innocent boy, described by his headteacher Bill Handforth as a "real jewel".

John Bates, aged 28, was shot in the stomach but managed to stagger to a house to raise the alarm as his stepson lay dead on the pavement in Bankfield Street, Deane.

A third bullet had struck the gable end of a terraced house after the gunman, wearing a motorcycle helmet to mask his face, emerged from a ginnel, raised the weapon and fired.

Paul Seddon, aged 27, was convicted of the boy's murder following a lengthy trial at Preston Crown Court.

Early on in the court proceedings, Webb's name was mentioned in connection with a drugs-related meeting at the Ancient Shepherd pub in Bolton town centre.

John Bates had claimed that Webb, described in court as a "well known local criminal", had asked him to deal drugs in the Blackburn area, as well as buy drugs from him.

Bates claimed in court he had refused the offer.

The murder trial was told that Seddon had been paid £5,000 to shoot Mr Bates but he had missed his target, blasting Dillon in the head instead.

Sentencing Seddon, the trial judge Mr Justice Forbes told the court the mystery person who had paid Seddon the bounty may never be brought to justice.

He said: "I realise that we may never know precisely who or on whose behalf you were acting when you attacked Mr Bates.

"I have no doubt however your attack on him was carried out in order to further the interests of those dealing in illegal drugs in the Bolton area.

"You were their hired killer."

Following the court case in 1998, Det Supt Peter Ellis, who headed up the Dillon Hull murder investigation, told the BEN: "I would agree that there were other people that were the architects of this crime."

Det Supt Ellis, who is now head of Wigan CID, is now in charge of the Billy Webb murder investigation.