THREE people were being questioned today by police investigating the brutal street murder of a York man.

The three, two men and one woman, were arrested in the city on Monday and were taken to Fulford Road police station.

One man was arrested and bailed on Sunday night in connection with "the ini-tial fracas" in George Hudson Street, before the murder in Low Ousegate.

Michael Anthony Brolly, known as "Mick", aged 34, of Margaret Street, was chased from outside Breeze Hair Design and Beauty Salon, in George Hudson Street, and was repeatedly kicked by "six or seven" men on the pavement in Low Ousegate.

The father-of-four suffered "external and internal" injuries and later died in York District Hospital.

Police are still appealing for witnesses to the incident, and say CCTV footage from around the murder scene shows that there were a substantial number of wit-nesses to the assault and the first fight in George Hudson Street.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Barlow said: "We know that more people saw this incident than have so far come forward. The people involved in this appear to have know each other and it maybe that that witnesses would feel they were only seeing some drunken misbehaviour rather than what is actually a very serious crime.

"We want to hear from anyone who saw the trouble in George Hudson Street, Skeldergate and Low Ousegate, plus we need to hear from those people who may know the background to the incident. I want these people to call York police now on 01904 631321."

Detectives and task force officers were out in the city interviewing witnesses and following leads.

The West Yorkshire police helicopter was also scrambled to help with the inquiry.

Meanwhile, Mr Brolly's family have paid tribute to him and urged people with in-formation to come forward and help police to catch his killers.

His cousin, Donna Harper, speaking on behalf of the family, said: "It has been such a massive shock. We are all stunned and can't believe it. We just don't understand it.

"Mick came from a large family and was much loved. He will be sadly missed. To those who knew him, he was a valued and loyal friend."

She said her cousin had been a loving son to his mother Rita, and a caring father to his four young children Andrew, Michaela, Mikey and Matthew.

He had two brothers, Mark and Malcolm, and two sisters, Caroline and Lorraine, and was an uncle to Paul.

His mother was being comforted at her home in Bell Farm Avenue and was too distraught to talk about the tragedy.

Updated: 09:35 Tuesday, September 18, 2001