A family has been given fresh hope after police announced a review into a young peacemaker’s unsolved death following evidence heard at his inquest last month.

David Joslin, of Kimberley Road in Chingford, died aged 23 just days after being punched to the ground while intervening in an argument in Old Church Road shortly before Christmas 2009.

Last month, more than three years later, Walthamstow Coroners Court ruled that he had been killed by an unlawful blow which caused him to hit his head on the ground, an impact which proved fatal.

The inquest heard evidence from several witnesses including brothers Barry and Michael Oliver, who claimed they were attacked on their way home that night, but whose evidence was dismissed as “inconsistent and not convincing” by coroner Chinyere Inyama.

Barry’s girlfriend gave a statement shortly after the incident to police saying that immediately after the event Michael had talked about hitting “anyone who came near him and saying he put a few on the floor".

Both brothers say it has been too long since the incident to remember properly.

The coroner praised the evidence given by witness Michael Butterworth, the first time it had been heard in court, who said the man who had punched Mr Joslin wore jeans and a cream top.

Michael Oliver denied that when shown CCTV footage by police he had agreed he wore a cream top on the night.

Police insist the case remained open until the inquest, but the family claim it had not been actively investigated for years.

However, responding to a Guardian enquiry about the evidence heard at the inquest, police confirmed they are reviewing the case in light of the inquest, at which a detective was present.

Father Phil Joslin said: “This gives us hope. If there’s hope then there’s something, that’s what we live for. It’s good news and that’s definite progress.

“When we learned they wouldn’t pursue prosecution before that was a huge let down. But a lot of the evidence that came out [at the inquest] I hadn’t heard before.

“There’s a very good basis for re-questioning many individuals on the case. I’d love this evidence to be heard by a jury.”