A renewed appeal to find the killer of an 18-year-old shot dead a decade ago in a dispute over a mobile phone has been launched by West Midlands Police.

Detectives said Joel Royston Nubie was killed by Richard Clifton Henry at 8pm on August 18, 1997, in Crompton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham.

It is believed Henry, aged 41, who is also known as Ricko, shot Joel after he took a phone belonging to the suspect's brother.

To mark the approaching tenth anniversary of the murder, the force yesterday appealed for members of the Handsworth community to come forward with information on his whereabouts.

Henry, who left the UK within 24 hours of the incident and travelled to Jamaica via Holland, is believed to have returned to Birmingham undetected on at least one occasion.

Detective Inspector Simon Richards said: "On the day in question, Joel had been in a dispute with Richard Henry's brother and Joel had taken a phone from Richard Henry's brother," he said.

"The brother then told Richard Henry about this and told him where Joel was and Richard Henry shot Joel in the head."

He said he was "disappointed" to learn Henry had freely entered and left the country.

"Ten years have now past since this tragic offence," he said. "I am not looking for anyone other than Richard Henry. There is no doubt in my mind that Richard was holding the gun.

"I find it very disappointing that he is able to get in and out of the country. Hypothetically, he could be anywhere in the world if he has a different name and passport.

"I know he was in Jamaica, but I don't know if he still is. Officers did go out to Jamaica, but unfortunately there weren't able to trace him."

The victim's mother Jennifer Young-Sam described the pain her family had been through as "a cancer".

"My son Joel was shot dead at point blank range in a public place on a summer's evening back in August 1997," she said.

"The location where he met his death is well-known in the Hands-worth area. There is no doubt that at the time of the shooting, there were many witnesses to the incident.

"I am appealing to the community for help in finding this man Richard Henry.

"My family and I are in constant pain. It is like a cancer."

Det Insp Richards added the murder had not been gang related and the victim was not a member of a gang.