Victoria Hall murder inquiry: Detectives 'remain positive and determined to deliver justice' 21 years after her disappearance from Trimley St Mary near Felixstowe

Detectives investigating the murder of a teenage girl from Suffolk say they remain 'positive and determined to deliver justice' ahead of the 21st anniversary of her disappearance.

Suffolk Police say they are continuing to work through more than 1,200 links to people and vehicles relating to the case of 17-year-old Victoria Hall, who was last seen alive in the early hours of Sunday, September 19, 1999 in High Road, Trimley St Mary near Felixstowe .

They have received 90 calls or messages since September of last year when the force revealed that the case – known as Operation Avon – was a live inquiry again and being fully reinvestigated by a new team of detectives, after fresh information had been received.

Victoria left home on the evening of Saturday, September 18, 1999 for a night out with a friend at the Bandbox nightclub in Bent Hill, Felixstowe, where they remained until around 1am on the morning of Sunday, September 19.

They then went to get some food at the Bodrum Grill in Undercliff Road West, before walking back to Trimley St Mary. They parted at around 2.20am near to the junction of High Road and Faulkeners Way – Victoria was just yards away from her home.

When Victoria’s parents woke up that morning and discovered that she had not returned home, the police were called and a missing person inquiry was launched.

Five days later, on Friday, September 24, Victoria’s naked body was found in a ditch beside a field by a dog walker in Creeting Lane, Creeting St Peter, about 25 miles away from where she was last seen. None of her clothes or possessions have ever been found.

Since the investigation became live again last year, police say the inquiry team have made 'significant progress and undertaken a huge amount of work'.

New lines of enquiry have been created after the dozens of messages from the public helped 'piece together information', officers added.

Meanwhile, 'all forensic opportunities are being exhausted, following a thorough review of the 3,000 exhibits that exist within the investigation'.

And detectives from the Major Investigation Team have been working with experts from the National Crime Agency, who are supporting the investigation.

Police want to hear from anyone who was walking or driving in Trimley St Mary between 2am and 4am on Sunday, September 19, 1999.

"The movements of over 70 individuals on the night in question have already been assessed in great detail, by reviewing a total of over 9,000 statements, documents, messages and reports from the original investigation," a spokesman said.

"Officers are also continuing to work through over 1,200 links to people and vehicles and are making a specific appeal to hear from anybody who was either walking or driving in Trimley St Mary, between 2am and 4am on Sunday, September 19, 1999, to make contact and provide their details, as this information will help to fill any gaps and greatly assist the inquiry."

Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Bridger, Head of Crime, said: "Despite the passage of 21 years since Victoria was so cruelly torn away from her family, we remain positive and determined to find a breakthrough in this case and to deliver justice for them.

"When the reinvestigation into the abduction and murder of Victoria was launched last year, a dedicated Operation Avon team was set-up to pursue new lines of enquiry and to identify fresh opportunities from the original investigation.

"The work undertaken so far has been vast and the team – with the assistance of numerous other colleagues – have made significant inroads. There is still much to do and we remain fully committed to completing this."

Det Chf Supt Bridger said officers have continued to provide support Victoria's family throughout this process, and kept them updated with the progress of the investigation.

"Everyone was encouraged by the support we received from members of the public last year and we are grateful to all the people who contacted us with information," he added.

"We still believe there are people out there who will know something very significant about this case, but have still as yet not told us. It is never too late to come forward and we are ready to take their call.

"We know allegiances can change over the years and someone who may have been compelled to keep a secret to protect another person may no longer feel the same obligation.

"Any information we are given will be treated with the utmost confidence. Please help us to solve this shocking crime and provide Victoria’s family the answers they deserve.”

Victoria’s clothing and personal belongings that she had with her the last time she was seen alive have never been found.

Police have reissued pictures of the dress, jacket, shoes and a wooden hair slider that Victoria was wearing the last time she was seen.

Last year, for the first time details about some of Victoria’s personal belongings were shared:

• a black oval shaped New Look purse with a zip fastener, containing a house key on a distinctive fob with ‘Vicky’ across the top and ‘Victoria’ down the sides
• a Rimmel lipstick in a black plastic case, the colour of which is believed to have been ‘Zorro’
• the inner soles of one or both of Victoria’s shoes had been fixed with Sellotape

Also as part of last year’s appeal, CCTV footage was released of individuals at the field in Creeting St Peter where Victoria’s body was found, which was captured during the month following her death.

A number of the calls received into the inquiry team related to this footage and the information provided has been taken into consideration as part of the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information should contact the Major Investigation Team, either via the online portal here or by calling 101 and quoting Operation Avon.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form

Read more: All you need to know about Suffolk's unsolved murders

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