VENEZUELAN police said today it was "just a matter of time" before they catch the killers of North Yorkshire businessman Kenneth Todd.

Detectives investigating the murder have identified the gang responsible, and have pledged to track them down.

Mr Todd was bludgeoned to death with the butt of a pistol on the Caribbean island of Margarita on Sunday, October 16.

Obdulio Moreno, regional director of the Cuerpo de Investigaciones Cientficas Penales y Criminalsticas (CICPC), said: "We are working day and night to solve this case, and we do have some subjects identified. Capturing them is just a matter of time."

The CICPC - the Venezuelan equivalent of Britain's CID - has been assigned to investigate what local media have dubbed "el caso del ingls", the Case of the Englishman.

Meanwhile, the island's governor and police chiefs met local mayor Marisel Velsquez, and agreed to tighten up security in the area in the wake of the attack

The Evening Press exclusively revealed how a group of masked men burst into Mr Todd's holiday hotel, Hotel La Posada, in the small community of San Juan Bautista, north-west of the island's main city, Porlamar.

Officials said Mr Todd was beaten to death with the butt of a pistol. His body was taken to the Hospital Luis Ortega, in Porlamar, later that day.

The gang are believed to have been "professional robbers", who deliberately targeted Mr Todd. Money, jewellery and a camera were taken from his hotel room.

The 62-year-old grandfather had recently retired from FD Todd & Sons, the family-owned waste management business in Thirsk.

The company is responsible for the kerbside collection of newspapers and magazines from 40,000 households across North Yorkshire and also offers skip hire, recycling services and the supply of building tools and materials.

For the last four years, Mr Todd had lived in Spain with his wife, Bronwyn, but had maintained strong connections with Yorkshire, regularly visiting his family and friends. He was on holiday in Venezuela with his wife when he was attacked and killed.

In a statement, Mr Todd's elder son, Richard, said the family was "totally devastated by this tragic loss".

Updated: 10:00 Monday, October 31, 2005