Criminals helped detectives track down the vicious killers of Kevin Jackson, a senior detective has revealed.

And Detective Superintendent Bob Bridgestock said the inquiry desk was inundated with calls from the public as officers hunted the three Bradford men accused of the murder.

Speaking after Raees Khan, Rangzaib Akhtar and Rashad Zaman, were jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court yesterday, Det Supt Bridgestock also praised his team of officers who took almost 450 statements during the inquiry which ultimately led to the arrest and conviction of the men.

Det Supt Bridgestock said Bradford's "criminal fraternity" who had been "repulsed" by the nature of Mr Jackson's death had given helpful information which led to the men's arrests last January.

Zaman, 21, of Apsley Crescent, and Khan, 21, of Priestman Close, both Manningham, were sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Jackson for the murder of the Halifax father-of-two.

Akhtar, 20, of Salt Street, Manningham, was also sentenced to life in custody and will be held in a young offenders' institution until he reaches the age of 21.

Mr Jackson, 31, a maintenance engineer, was attacked when he tried to stop his father-in-law's Toyota RAV4 being stolen from near his home, in Lower Skircoat Green, on December 30 last year. He died in hospital two days later - on New Year's Day.

Mr Jackson suffered 21 separate injuries including a fatal head wound when stabbed with a screwdriver.

Det Supt Bridgestock said his officers' thoughts were now with Julie Jackson, her sons, Jake, eight, and Tom, two, and their family.

He also praised Mrs Jackson for allowing forensic experts to take traces of skin from under Mr Jackson's finger nails while he was in a critical condition in hospital.

Det Supt Bridgestock said forensic tests proved DNA from the skin belonged to Khan and this evidence proved vital in his capture.

"Kevin Jackson did nothing wrong," he said. "He acted instinctively on that night. He chased them and caught them and as a result of that he paid the highest price, his life.

"The way of life for these three men was to steal and take cars they wanted. The violence was unnecessary. Mr Jackson suffered appalling injuries and was left in the road to die."

A statement from Mrs Jackson was read at the press conference. Det Supt Bridgestock said she "didn't have the strength" to attend in person.

Mrs Jackson said waiting for the jury's verdict "had been the equivalent of waiting for Kevin's life support machine to be switched off".

"I imagine the three men have little or no remorse for what they have put us through this year and quite frankly I don't care.

"But I hope they do have some report as to what they have put their own families through. If their parents have felt a tenth of the heartache and worry that my family have felt this year, I feel for them.

"I now ask you allow my family to get some sort of normal life back together because I have two boys who still believe in Christmas and even though I cannot bear the thought of doing it without their daddy I cannot let them down."

Passing sentence yesterday, Mr Justice Jackson said: "Kevin Jackson was unarmed. To stab him through the head with a screwdriver was a cowardly and horrific act."

As well as the life sentence for murder, Akhtar was sentenced to a concurrent five years' jail term for an unrelated car theft, the attempted theft of the RAV4, and for the attempted burglary of a house in Woodside Drive, Cottingley, on December 26 last year when he tried to steal the keys to an Audi A3.

The sentence also included unlawfully wounding Shaun Walker, an inmate whom he attacked with a flask of boiling water while he was remanded in custody at a detention centre in Northallerton.

Zaman was also sentenced to four years for car thefts, the attempted burglary in Cottingley and the attempted theft of the RAV4 to be served concurrently.

Khan was also jailed for a concurrent three years term for the attempted burglary and attempted theft.