A senior detective told an inquest it could take a further eight months for police to complete a new investigation into the death of a man who died more than two years ago.

Jay Abatan, 42, an accountant from Eastbourne, was attacked outside the Ocean Rooms night club in Morley Street, Brighton, on January 24 1999 following a dispute with a group of clubbers about a taxi.

He died from his injuries five days later at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton.

Following complaints from his family about the original police investigation an inquiry by Essex Police highlighted 57 inconsistencies, failures and inexplicable decisions.

A second investigation was launched and is still continuing.

Brighton and Hove Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley adjourned the inquest until October 1 next year, when the inquiry should be completed.

She told the hearing it was important for Mr Abatan's family to be kept up to date with the investigation.

Detective Superintendent Ken Probert, who is in charge of the second investigation, gave a statement to the hearing at Brighton Magistrates Court outlining the work on the new inquiry.

He said the family had felt let down by the first investigation and it was important to rebuild trust and confidence. He said the murder inquiry had been given the highest category in order to maximise available resources.

He said: "I met with the family and told them I was committed to pursuing any potential fruitful lines of inquiry. There is a need for me to be thorough and meticulous in my approach.

"At the moment there are nominated suspects and inquiries are in hand to prove or disprove their involvement.

"The inquiries are detailed and painstaking. I don't see any short-term resolution."

He said since he took over the investigation in November last year his team had listed 1,800 lines of inquiry and still had 700 to complete.

There had been a widespread search to trace all the people who had been at the nightclub on the evening of the attack and so far 250 out of the estimated 400 clubbers had been found.

He believes it could take another eight months before the investigation is complete.

Mr Abatan, a father of two young children, received blows to his head in the attack.

He was with his brother, Michael, at the time.

Mrs Hamilton-Deeley praised the family's behaviour.

She said: "It has been hard to find a more dignified number of people."