A man who was killed while answering a hoax call to deliver a take-a-way meal to the Solicitor General's house was ''executed'', according to police who yesterday appealed for those who may have dropped out of the carefully-planned operation to come forward.

But they said they were still keeping an open mind over the motive for the murder of Mr Abdul Samad, which has been linked to curry wars and drugs.

The police made their appeal as the victim's sister Ms Halima Begum, 23, said the family was also calling for anyone with information to come forward.

Detective Superintendent Colin Hardingham, of New Scotland Yard, said that Mr Samad, from the Brick Lane area of east London, was killed after answering a telephone order to deliver a meal from Curry in a Hurry, in St Paul's Road, Islington, north London, at about 10.10pm, on May 21.

He said Mr Samad was to deliver the meal to the address of the Solicitor General, Lord Falconer, in Alwyne Road, Islington. It was now clear the call was a hoax.

The only delivery man on duty in the evenings, Mr Samad used his own car and was ambushed by at least two or three men after getting out of the vehicle.

He managed to run about 200 yards to Alwyne Villas, where he was murdered.

''It was a brutal murder. I would go so far as to say it was an execution,'' said Mr Hardingham.

''He was attacked with various weapons, sharp weapons, blunt weapons, a meat cleaver, and what has been described as some sort of baseball bat.'' He died later in hospital.

He added: ''We have a lot of eyewitness accounts about what happened. What we have not got is evidence from anyone in the community about why this happened, or who committed it.

''We know it was well planned and a lot of people were involved in this planning.

''We are aware - I cannot go into detail - that certain people involved in the planning of the murder pulled out at various stages. My appeal is to those people to come forward and talk to the police.''