THE family of a lawyer found dead at his Prenton home at the weekend have paid heartfelt tribute to a man "loved and admired" by all who knew him.

Martin Decker's body was found at his home in Vyner Croft on Sunday afternoon.

A post-mortem revealed cause of death was a "severe blunt force head injury" and a murder investigation has been launched.

In a statement this afternoon Martin's family wrote: "Martin was the oldest of six children and he taught his brothers and sisters how to laugh, play and enjoy life.

"His life was spent working hard on behalf of other people and for their benefit. He managed a team of lawyers at the CPS, all of whom loved and admired him, they would go the extra mile for him to meet his high standards.

"Martin worked hard but played hard too.

"He loved travel and sport; he was so happy his beloved Tranmere Rovers Football Club have been doing so well this season.

"He is loved by all and his passing will leave a massive hole in our lives which can never be filled.

"He will be dearly missed by his mother and all his brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and all family members."

Mr Decker, 69, had worked for the Crown Prosecution Service since 1985.

Said to have been a popular figure on the court network, he rose to become a higher court advocate who managed significant prosecutions for the CPS.

Paying tribute, Siobhan Blake, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Mersey Cheshire, said this evening: “We have been greatly saddened by the news of the death of our former colleague Martin Decker.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very difficult and tragic time.”

Mr Decker was involved in the Unity Team, which saw specialist rape investigators work side by side with expert lawyers, when it was set up in 2010.

The project had the twin aims of encouraging more victims of sexual violence to come forward and of increasing the number of successful prosecutions against offenders. The Unity team remains a key part of Merseyside Police's work on sexual crime.

Jo Wood MBE worked with Martin when he was building the Unity Team within Merseyside Police.

Paying tribute to Mr Decker, Jo told the Globe: "He was one the good guys.

He really understood what women go through when they report rape and he worked hard to make that easier for them to do.

"A true gentleman and a sad loss."

Tranmere Rovers also released a tribute on Twitter, which read: "Everyone at Tranmere is shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden and tragic passing of long time season ticket holder Martin Decker.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very difficult time."

An investigation into what happened over the weekend continues, with a number of lines of enquiry being pursued. CCTV, house-to-house and forensic enquiries are also being carried out in the local area.

Wirral Globe:

Vyner Close, where Martin Decker was found dead in his own home on Sunday evening. Photo: Google Maps / Steet view

Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Wilson said: "This is obviously a very a tragic incident and our thoughts are with Mr Decker’s family and friends.

"The investigation is in the very early stages and we are currently working to establish Mr Decker’s movements on the Saturday and Sunday (6th/7th March).

"Vyner Croft is only a small cul-de-sac and I am keen to establish if there was anyone seen in that road or any of the surrounding roads acting suspiciously prior to the discovery of Mr Decker’s body.

"I would ask anyone, including delivery or taxi drivers, who were driving in the area in the past few days to check their dash cam to see if they have captured anything significant.

"I would also ask anyone who may have mobile phone or CCTV footage to get in touch as they may be able to assist our investigation.

Information or video footage to assist the investigation can be sent to: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/05MP21M40-PO1

Anyone with information can also DM @MerPolCC or @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 quoting 21000146885.