A senior police officer yesterday denied he chose ''foul means'' to solve the murder of teenage Celtic star Lawrence Haggart.

Detective Superintendent Joseph Holden denied that as the ''new broom'' appointed to clear up the mystery he had ''invented'' a murder confession.

Mr Holden, of Central Scotland Police, also denied a defence allegation that police had battered murder-accused Brian Beattie, 33, into making a false confession to killing the 15-year-old Scottish schoolboy internationalist who was found dying in flames in his family home in Larbert, Stirlingshire, on March 15, 1996.

Mr Holden, 44, told the High Court in Edinburgh that Mr Beattie broke down and confessed to killing Lawrence Haggart during an interview at Stirling police station in August 1997.

Mr Holden told the court: ''You could see his body beginning to shake . . . he started crying loudly, making a wailing noise. Mucous was coming from his nose as well as tears from his eyes.''

Mr Holden said he asked Mr Beattie: ''Did you kill Lawrence Haggart?'' Mr Holden said at that point Beattie nodded his head

vigorously at least half a dozen times''.

Mr Holden said he then inquired: ''Does that mean yes, Brian?''

He said Mr Beattie replied: ''Aye . . . I want to talk to Willie about it.''

Mr Holden said police then took Mr Beattie's brother William to Stirling police station. But when they met, Mr Beattie told his brother he had not committed the murder. Mr Holden said Mr Beattie's alleged confession to the murder was not tape-recorded. But a police officer had noted the statement of confession.

Mr Holden said he had been asked to review the evidence of the unsolved murder in November 1996. He said Mr Beattie ''confessed'' to the murder of Lawrence Haggart in August 1997 but was not charged with murder until three months later. Mr Holden said that was a decision taken by the procurator-fiscal.

Mr Edgar Prais QC, defence counsel, asked Mr Holden if, as ''the new broom'' appointed to take over the fresh investigation, he was determined to solve the murder at any cost.

Mr Holden replied: ''I have nothing to prove. I have 18 years' service in the CID and have been a chief investigating officer for 12 years.''

Mr Prais added: ''My suggestion is that this was a crime you were going to solve by foul means or fair means. And you chose foul.''

Mr Holden denied the allegation. He said that he had reviewed all the evidence and denied that police officers assaulted Mr Beattie before the ''confession'' was made.

He said he had not threatened Mr Beattie that if he did not confess his family would be left unprotected while in fear of having their home firebombed because of local outrage.

Mr Beattie, unemployed, of Ewing Drive, Falkirk, denies murdering Lawrence Haggart by repeatedly striking him on the head and body with a weapon and setting fire to his body so that he died at Edinburgh's Western General Hospital on March 17, 1996.

The alleged offence was said to have taken place at the Haggart family home at Glenbervie Drive, Larbert, Stirlingshire, on March 15 or 16, 1996, after Mr Beattie was said to have entered the house uninvited.

Mr Beattie further denies he culpably and recklessly attempted to set fire to furniture in the home.

In a special defence of incrimination, Mr Beattie blamed Dennis Haggart, now 14, for the murder of his brother, Lawrence.

In court, Dennis denied the

allegation.

The trial continues.