Heartbroken son Christopher Atherton today offered £1,000 reward in a bid to help catch the hit-and-run driver responsible for his war veteran father's death.

It was 3pm on Friday June 1 when Mr Atherton's father Harry, 85, crossed the road near his Saltaire home during a trip to the shop.

Before he reached the other side of Saltaire Road a stolen car had ploughed into him, carrying him 50 yards along the road. The car was later found dumped in Windhill.

Harry, a widower, suffered serious multiple chest injuries and died at Bradford Royal Infirmary nine days later.

Exactly two months after he was knocked down, the driver has still not been caught. Now Harry's son is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of his father's killer.

Speaking publicly for the first time since his father's death, Christopher, 50, who works for Bradford Council, said he and his two daughters Claire, 17, and Ellen, 11, had been left devastated by the tragedy.

He said: "There are two reasons for offering a reward - to help get the culprit caught and to make sure he doesn't do the same thing to someone else - because there's no doubt that won't be the last car he steals.

"I'm hoping the reward might just loosen someone's tongue and get them to come forward to offer more evidence. Someone who would steal a car is probably going to have friends to whom £1,000 would come in very handy.

"I can't really understand it but I don't feel any real anger towards them - I just want them bringing to justice.''

Mr Atherton said the hit-and-run driver had robbed his father - who was wounded by shrapnel during the Second World War while serving with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry - of the chance to fulfil his ambitions to receive a telegram from the Queen on his 100th birthday and see his granddaughters marry.

He said everyone had been convinced his father would reach 100.

"He looked after himself, was very fit and healthy and hadn't had a doctor's appointment since 1963," said Mr Atherton.

"According to everyone he was a joker and we used to go out regularly for a laugh and joke together. He was a good granddad to the girls and I don't think anyone had a bad word for him.''

Inspector Angela Williams of West Yorkshire police said: "We fully support the motive behind the reward which has been put up by the family for one reason - to catch and convict the offender so they can't do it to anyone else.

"Someone out there must know something. I'm sure the person responsible won't have been able to keep it quiet and will have confided in their wife or girlfriend or told a friend.

"We've got an incident room and are still following up various leads but would be grateful to anyone with any information to come forward.''

The man police are looking for is described as white, aged in his late teens or early 20s, about 5ft 8in and slim with short brown or ginger hair, brushed forward at the front, and a spotty or scarred face.

He was driving a blue T-registration Mazda 626, stolen from the Shell garage on Bingley Road, Saltaire. It was found dumped on Crag Road, Windhill.

l Anyone with information should call the incident room on (01274) 537422 or Keighley police on (01535) 617059.