MURDERER Alan Stead could be forced to repay financial assets gained from his wife's death.

The 42-year-old was found guilty last month of murdering Anita Stead by setting fire to their home in Slindon Close, Waterhayes, six years ago.

Now the Crown Prosecution Service has started proceedings to try to seize the financial assets gained following Anita's death.

Steve Ash, reviewing lawyer for CPS Staffordshire, said: "Stead faces confiscation proceedings in respect of the monies gained from the murder of his wife Anita.

"The prosecution is seeking to recover from Stead all of the financial benefits he obtained from his wife's death."

Stead had locked his wife in a computer room he built in the garage of their home before starting a fire. The mother-of-four had wanted a divorce, but he feared losing his children and home.

Stead, who moved to Meynell Fields, Loggerheads, got away with murder for years after police failed to gather enough evidence to prosecute him.

But Anita's father, 82-year-old Bert Whitehead, of Hartshill, continued to battle for justice.

Stead must serve at least 25 years in prison after being convicted at Stafford Crown Court.

Mr Whitehead said he supported the confiscation order because Stead gained thousands of pounds through his daughter's death.

Mr Whitehead said: "He never had a job after my daughter's death.

"His mortgage was all paid off so he didn't have to worry about that.

"He lived in a big property with all the mod cons. He profited from the sale of the house for six years. He was still winning."

News of the confiscation hearing came as the CPS dropped a case against Stead yesterday.

Stead had been accused of selling criminal property – LCD TVs, computer hard disk drives and monitors – on internet auction site eBay in 2006 and 2007.

The case was dropped because it was not in the public interest to proceed.