The brother Lionel Simenya who was murdered in a hit-and-run by a stolen car has urged the killers to come forward.

The 36-year-old died on Fords Road around 3.50am on Thursday, March 7 after being knocked down by a stolen Peugeot.

Mr Simenya, who was born in Burundi in East Africa, was an award winning chef and had left a gym at midnight before he was found dead.

His brother Nicolas said: “Lionel worked hard and never asked for help from anyone. “Lionel was in his prime and would have been 37 yesterday (Wednesday) had he not been taken away from us. “Yesterday we visited his body at the mortuary. He looked so peaceful. The same way he lived his life.” He added: “Lionel did not deserve to die such an atrocious death. “He should be living his life to the fullest, instead of having been cruelly taken away from us.

“As his family, we urge anyone with information to come forward and contact the police so that we can start grieving.”

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John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.