THE family of murder victim Jock Straiton has paid tribute to a 'much loved' father, grandfather, stepfather, brother, uncle, and friend.

In a statement released today, they said: "He lost his life much too soon and in terrible circumstances, at a time when he should have been preparing to enjoy retirement.

"He was never a violent man and to lose his life in such a violent incident has been very difficult for us all to accept. "Memories are all we have of Jock now, and the grandchildren, the youngest of whom was born after Jock’s death, will never have the chance to know their granddad.

"As a family we feel that this incident could have been avoided and is a sad indictment of the society we now live in whereby young men seem to think that it is perfectly acceptable to behave in this way after going for a night out, drinking too much, sometimes taking drugs, and ending the evening by beating someone unrecognizable.

"Their selfish disregard for others has not only ruined our lives but also has far reaching effects on all the families involved in this pointless act of violence.

"We would like to thank all the staff at the Multiple Injuries Unit at North Staffordshire Hospital for their care and attention of Jock – they worked so hard to save him.

"We would also like to thank the Family Liaison Officer, Lisa Wilson, and the investigative team for their support over the months since the incident. They have done a wonderful job for us."