THEY were steps he had taken a hundred times previously. After a few drinks at his regular pub, disabled Eddie Maddick headed for home.

There waiting for him were his beloved wife Caroline, his partner for the past 26 years, and his two children.

But Eddie never made it home that night.

Instead the 45-year-old was brutally attacked and left for dead on a dark footpath running into a Southampton housing estate.

It was there that his body was found nearly eight hours later by a dog-walker. He had suffered extensive injuries to his head and upper body in what police have described as a "serious and sustained" attack.

Gentle giant Eddie, disabled through epilepsy, could not have fought back against his killers.

At 6ft, he walked with a noticeable gait and could not get far before having to stop due to problems with his balance.

A builder by trade, his medical condition had stopped him working since 1997.

But the family was a close-knit and happy one. Eddie spent many a happy afternoon watching and feeding the birds at a pond behind The Ice House pub in Shirley.

He wasn't a heavy drinker but once a month would enjoy a few drinks at pubs around the Shirley area, as he had done on the night of his death.

At the centre of a large extended family, he had around 30 relatives across Southampton and was particularly well-loved by the younger ones.

Only recently his family had joked that he should have been a television presenter because he was so good with children.

His close family had to wait two days before seeing the spot where Eddie was killed. Once extensive forensic tests had been completed, police tape cordoning off the footpath in Millbrook was removed.

His wife Caroline, 43, daughter Kelly, 20, and son Warren, were among a large group of mourners who spent a silent half-hour at the scene late on Monday evening. Family and friends left floral tributes propped poignantly against a fence where Eddie died.

At the centre was a bouquet of deep red roses. Signed by Caroline, the accompanying card read: "My darling Eddie. No time to say a proper goodbye. Miss you loads but love you more. Always in my thoughts and never ever out of my heart."

The couple were due to celebrate their silver wedding in October.

Eddie's family are still struggling to come to terms with his murder. From their home in Bampton Close, Millbrook, they issued a statement begging for help in the hunt for those who killed the man who "wouldn't hurt a fly."

PC Claire Barker, family liaison officer, said: "All the family are very, very upset. Caroline in particular is devastated. She cannot understand why someone would do this to her husband; he was certainly not a fighter." Detectives believe Eddie may simply have paid the price for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was no evidence of anything stolen from his pockets and no apparent motive.

Police have not ruled out the possibility it was a group who inflicted the appalling head injuries that were to claim his life.

It is believed Eddie's killers pounced soon after 1.30am on Sunday, when he was pictured on CCTV cameras heading for a footpath near the Tesco supermarket at Millbrook.

His body was not discovered until 9.15am, but police are convinced several people passed by - possibly turning a blind eye in the belief that what they saw was a drunk who had collapsed.

Detectives are anxious to trace a handful of people caught on CCTV camera walking along the footpath between Tebourba Way and William Macleod Way from 1.30am to 3am on Saturday.

Det Supt John James, leading the inquiry codenamed Operation Erskine, said: "It may be that they are embarrassed that they walked past Mr Maddick without helping him, not realising what had happened to him.

"But we need them to get in touch because they could have vital information about this murder inquiry." He added: "We continue to have no real idea of the motivation behind this attack but it has left a family without a husband and a father.

"Obviously we do have concerns that this could happen again, so would urge the public to come forward so that we can arrest whoever was responsible at the earliest opportunity."

Drinkers who saw Eddie, casually dressed in jeans, trainers and a T-shirt, earlier in the evening are also urged to contact police. Detectives have established he went into Tramways at Shirley High Street around 11pm and stayed there until 1.20am, when he went to walk home alone.

Landlady Lynn Taylor said: "Edward had been a regular in here for about five years. He almost always came in by himself and seemed a bit of a loner. He was no trouble and seemed to enjoy a drink. I really feel for his family even though I never met them. You see a loved one going off to the pub and you don't expect to never see them again. When something like this happens in your neck of the woods you feel very upset. I just hope the police act swiftly and find whoever caused Edward's death."

A team of 30 officers is working on the murder inquiry from an incident room at Hulse Road divisional police headquarters in Southampton. Any information to the Operation Erskine team on 0845 045 4545 or the anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111.