THE sister of a Bradford man - who is fighting his conviction for murder in the Barry Selby acid case - has told of her frustration after a Cabinet minister put the issue of joint enterprise on hold.

Andrew Feather, 24, of Heysham Drive, Holme Wood, was found guilty by a jury last June and sentenced to a minimum of 26 years in prison.

The jury decided he was the getaway driver after masked intruders went into the home of 50-year-old father-of-three Mr Selby, in Rayleigh Street, East Bowling, Bradford, shot him in the leg and poured sulphuric acid over him. He died four days later.

Trial judge, Mr Justice Globe, said that Lee Calvert, 23, of Stirling Crescent, Holme Wood, had fired the gun and thrown the acid, and sentenced him to a minimum of 36 years behind bars. Robert Woodhead, 28, of Fred's Place, Tyersal, and Joseph Lowther, 22, of Copgrove Road, Holme Wood, who were also at the house, were given minimum 32 year sentences.

The case was one of joint enterprise, in which defendants not involved in the murder can be convicted if they are secondary participants.

MPs from the Justice Committee have called on the Government to put in place an urgent review of the law of joint enterprise in murder cases.

The committee said a review should look at the appropriateness of foresight in the culpability of secondary participants, and also consider charging secondary participants with manslaughter or a lesser offence if they did not encourage or assist in the perpetration of the murder.

But yesterday the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Chris Grayling, said it would not be appropriate to ask the Law Commission to hold a review before the General Election.

Responding to the committee, Mr Grayling said: "The question of whether the law should be reviewed and clarified will need to be considered carefully by Ministers in the next Parliament. The scope of any review, and who should lead it, are issues that should be left to new Ministers."

Mr Grayling said he recognised families of convicted offenders believed the foresight principle was too harsh, but added there were many families of victims who disagreed.

Feather's sister, care worker Rebecca Wright, said she had expected the Minister to put off the review, but she was frustrated and disheartened.

"We knew it was going to happen, but we think they are using the General Election as a smokescreen. It leaves us in limbo," said Miss Wright, 28.

"I am frustrated, but I remain hopeful. The recommendations of the Justice Committee are very clear and very positive. We are a lot further down the line than 12 months ago and more people are aware of joint enterprise."

Campaign group JENGbA (Joint Enterprise Not Guilty by Association) is proposing to use Feather's conviction as a test case.