diff --git a/source/Refitting/include/RefitProcessor.h b/source/Refitting/include/RefitProcessor.h
index 541bed1..4be228e 100644
--- a/source/Refitting/include/RefitProcessor.h
+++ b/source/Refitting/include/RefitProcessor.h
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 #include <EVENT/TrackerHit.h>
 
+#include <memory>
+
 namespace MarlinTrk{
   class IMarlinTrkSystem ;
 }
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ class RefitProcessor : public marlin::Processor {
   lcio::LCCollection* GetCollection( lcio::LCEvent * evt, std::string colName ) ;
   
   /* helper function to get relations using try catch block */
-  lcio::LCRelationNavigator* GetRelations(lcio::LCEvent * evt, std::string RelName ) ;
+  std::unique_ptr<lcio::LCRelationNavigator> GetRelations(lcio::LCEvent * evt, std::string RelName ) ;
   
   /** Input track collection name for refitting.
    */
diff --git a/source/Refitting/src/RefitProcessor.cc b/source/Refitting/src/RefitProcessor.cc
index e6e92bd..e6fff06 100644
--- a/source/Refitting/src/RefitProcessor.cc
+++ b/source/Refitting/src/RefitProcessor.cc
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ void RefitProcessor::processEvent( LCEvent * evt ) {
   // get input collection and relations 
   LCCollection* input_track_col = this->GetCollection( evt, _input_track_col_name ) ;
   
-  LCRelationNavigator* input_track_rels = this->GetRelations( evt, _input_track_rel_name ) ;
+  auto input_track_rels = this->GetRelations( evt, _input_track_rel_name ) ;
   
   if( input_track_col != 0 ){
     
@@ -414,8 +414,6 @@ void RefitProcessor::processEvent( LCEvent * evt ) {
     
     evt->addCollection( trackVec , _output_track_col_name) ;
     evt->addCollection( trackRelVec , _output_track_rel_name) ;
-    delete input_track_rels; input_track_rels = 0;
-
   }
   ++_n_evt ;
 }
@@ -452,13 +450,13 @@ LCCollection* RefitProcessor::GetCollection( LCEvent * evt, std::string colName
   
 }
 
-LCRelationNavigator* RefitProcessor::GetRelations(LCEvent * evt , std::string RelName ) {
+std::unique_ptr<LCRelationNavigator> RefitProcessor::GetRelations(LCEvent * evt , std::string RelName ) {
   
-  LCRelationNavigator* nav = 0 ;
+  std::unique_ptr<UTIL::LCRelationNavigator> nav = nullptr;
   
   try{
-    nav = new LCRelationNavigator(evt->getCollection( RelName.c_str() ));
-    streamlog_out( DEBUG2 ) << "RefitProcessor --> " << RelName << " track relation collection in event = " << nav << std::endl;
+    nav.reset(new LCRelationNavigator(evt->getCollection( RelName.c_str() )));
+    streamlog_out( DEBUG2 ) << "RefitProcessor --> " << RelName << " track relation collection in event = " << nav.get() << std::endl;
   }
   catch(DataNotAvailableException &e){
     streamlog_out( DEBUG2 ) << "RefitProcessor --> " << RelName.c_str() << " track relation collection absent in event" << std::endl;