Police appeal for key witness in Sarah murder

Sarah: Police appeal for new witness

LONDON (Reuters) -- British police investigating the murder of Sarah Payne have appealed for a lorry driver they believe may have seen her killer to contact them.

A witness saw the driver brake sharply to avoid a collision with a white van which was leaving the area where the eight-year-old's body was found on the night she went missing.

"You could be one of the key witnesses to the entire inquiry," Detective Superintendent Peter Kennett of Sussex police said at a press conference on Friday.

"Sarah was probably buried around that time. Therefore you have seen the vehicle containing the murderer that buried Sarah."

Sarah's naked body was found dumped in a field 10 miles from where she lived on July 17 -- two weeks after she disappeared near her grandparents' home in West Sussex triggering a nationwide manhunt.

Police said a witness who came forward at the end of July was driving behind the lorry at about 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) on the night of Sarah's disappearance when the white van sped out of a lane near the spot where her body was found beside the A29 road.

The van -- which fits the description of one seen in the area by Sarah's brother Lee at the time she vanished -- pulled out sharply with only its sidelights on, police said. The lorry had to brake sharply to avoid colliding with it.

Neither the lorry driver nor his vehicle are suspected of being involved in Sarah's abduction and murder, police said.

Logo could hold the key to witness

A distinctive logo painted across the rear doors of the lorry was revealed at the press conference after police failed to trace the company it belongs to.

"It may be a very small company, it could come from Scotland, it could be from anywhere," Kennett said. "But we've gone through various registers with the road hauliers etc and haven't been able to find it up till now."

Police have offered a reward of more than $216,000 (£150,000) for information leading to the conviction of Sarah's killer.

Two weeks ago they issued a call for fresh information following possible sightings of the blue dress she was wearing when she disappeared.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Sussex Police UK

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