Former BBC researcher wanted for 'torture and murder' added to Europe's most wanted list

Brian Waters' children were forced to watch as he was tied to a chair and tortured for three hours

A former journalist alleged to have been involved in the brutal killing of a father in front of his two children is now on Europe’s most wanted list.

Detectives have been hunting for fugitive Christopher Guest More Junior since he fled the country shortly after the murder of Brian Waters in 2003.

The 44-year-old victim was tortured and beaten to death in front of his adult children at the remote Burnt House Farm near Knutsford, in Cheshire.

Mr More, now 41, who a court heard described himself an undercover journalist, has links to Spain, Malta and South America, but detectives believe he could be anywhere.

Cheshire Police confirmed he had been added to Europe’s most wanted list on Tuesday.

Former undercover BBC researchers James Raven, 60, Otis Matthews, 41, and John Wilson, 69, are all serving life sentences after being convicted of Mr Waters’ murder.

Mr More is alleged to have been with the men when they stormed the derelict property, where Mr Waters was running a cannabis farm, in a row over a drugs debt.

The men tied Mr Waters to a chair before battering him in front of his son Gavin, who was also attacked, and daughter Natalie, who had just turned 21 and was held at gunpoint and forced to watch.

The father was whipped, burned, attacked with a staple gun, hung upside down and beaten and sexually assaulted with an iron bar in a three-hour ordeal during which he sustained 123 injuries, a trial heard.

Mr More, who is described as white and 6ft tall, is wanted for questioning in connection with Mr Waters’ death along with the attempted murder of a second man and the false imprisonment and assault of other victims at the scene.

Detective Superintendent Sarah Pengelly said on Tuesday: “This is a significant step forward in our bid to locate him and I hope that this latest development will help to generate a renewed interest in this case and, most importantly, valuable information as to his whereabouts.

“Our determination to find Christopher Guest More Jr has not faltered and, over the years, we have remained committed to locating and arresting him for his alleged involvement in the death of Brian Waters.

“Despite the passage of time, we have never given up hope and a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes out of the public eye, in a bid to piece together as much information as possible as to his whereabouts.”

Graham Roberts, regional manager at the National Crime Agency, added: “We’re very keen to continue supporting Cheshire Police in finding More Jr, who has been on the run for a long time.

“We have an international network of officers and links to partners abroad which we are using in his pursuit.”

Mr More’s cousin Raven worked on programmes including the BBC’s MacIntyre Uncovered and Crooked Britain, as well as Channel 4’s Sleepers, infiltrating gangs involved in car crime, drugs and counterfeiting.

The BBC previously confirmed Mr More worked for the broadcaster as researcher on a freelance basis alongside undercover reporter Donal MacIntrye.

A Chester Crown Court trial in 2004 heard Mr More also bragged about work as a surveillance-type journalist and had been following Mr Waters’ son nine days before the murder in what he described as a “reconnaissance” mission.

Anyone with information on More’s whereabouts should call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 quoting IML 387578, or give the details at cheshire.police.uk/contact/general-enquiries