Kettering detectives pursuing 'dozens' of lines of inquiry in Sarah Benford probe

A two-week forensic dig failed to find her remains last year, despite police being confident she was buried there
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Detectives investigating the murder of Sarah Benford say they are pursuing dozens of new lines of inquiry after last year's failed forensic dig.

A two-week search of land near Valley Walk in Kettering ended in November when the teenager's remains were not found, despite police being confident that she was buried there.

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Sarah went missing aged 14 in 2000 and nobody has ever been brought to justice over her killing, despite eight arrests.

Sarah, pictured as a primary school pupil.Sarah, pictured as a primary school pupil.
Sarah, pictured as a primary school pupil.

There have been no significant breakthroughs since the forensic excavation concluded two months ago - but police say they are looking at several pieces of information they received as a result of the operation.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman told the Northants Telegraph: "The investigation into the murder of Sarah Benford carries on and since the dig in the Valley Walk area of Kettering in November 2021, we continue to follow up a number of lines of inquiry that came about as a result of information provided to us by members of the public during the dig.

“It was a credible piece of intelligence that led us to that area in Kettering so it was bitterly disappointing not to find her there and to therefore be able to provide her family with that much-needed closure.

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“Though we didn’t find her on this occasion, that doesn’t mean that the investigation will stop or hold any less importance.

The scale of November's search. Picture: Andrew CarpenterThe scale of November's search. Picture: Andrew Carpenter
The scale of November's search. Picture: Andrew Carpenter

“We remain determined to find Sarah and would continue to appeal to anyone who may have information about her disappearance to come forward and contact us.”

Hopes that Sarah's body would finally be found were raised after a tip-off to police earlier in 2021, with a member of the public telling officers that she was buried in the area of open space close to the River Ise.

Detective Superintendent Joe Banfield, who led the operation, would not be drawn on the nature of the source and how they knew of Sarah's death, or why they had not come forward for 20 years.

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He couldn't say with certainty that it wasn't a hoax, but said they assessed the source of credible and had to act on it.

Forensic teams dig one of the anomalies.Forensic teams dig one of the anomalies.
Forensic teams dig one of the anomalies.

A 70m by 70m piece of land was sealed off as areas of anomaly were dug up as part of a meticulously-planned operation using flyovers, site surveys and archaeological experts.

Det Supt Banfield told our reporters they were expecting to find Sarah's body, with more than a dozen anomalies set to be dug up.

Specialist search dogs, trained to sniff out the scent of human remains, were also brought in three days into the operation.

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But after two weeks police and experts concluded that her body was not there. No evidence was found that could lead detectives to her killer, leading to more heartbreak for Sarah's family who have been seeking closure for more than two decades.

Det Supt Banfield at last year's dig.Det Supt Banfield at last year's dig.
Det Supt Banfield at last year's dig.

Sarah had been under the care of Northamptonshire County Council’s children’s services at the time of her disappearance and had been staying at Welford House in Northampton.

But she was repeatedly failed by the authorities who failed to see her as a victim of exploitation by drug dealers and sex offenders. When she admitted meeting people for sex and that she was injecting herself with heroin neither staff at Welford House nor a doctor she saw raised eyebrows, despite her being just a child.

Sarah, who spent 41 of her 150 days in care missing, fled the home in 2000 on March 31 and was found on April 2.

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Just a day later, on April 3, Sarah again walked out of the home again and staff reported her missing. On April 6 she visited her mum Vicki in an amusement arcade in Kettering town centre, where she worked. They argued and that was the final time Vicki saw her daughter.

Later that day, while high on drugs, Sarah phoned her mum from a house in Hampden Crescent, Kettering. A frantic Vicki begged police to collect her and take her back to the care home.

Officers were not concerned about her runaway attempts. They refused to pick her up - not for the first time - despite Vicki's desperate pleas.

Eight arrests have been made but nobody has ever been chargedEight arrests have been made but nobody has ever been charged
Eight arrests have been made but nobody has ever been charged

Documents later handed to this newspaper said police officers had told care home staff they 'could not and would not' collect her and would not 'take her to Kettering Police Station to babysit her'.

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What followed was one of the force's biggest ever missing persons investigations. TV appeals were launched and Sarah's face was plastered on milk cartons and on the side of lorries.

There were some sightings in the days after her disappearance in Cherry Road and Highfield Road. The investigation was upgraded to a murder inquiry in 2003 when police said they no longer believed Sarah was alive.

But despite numerous searches, arrests and statements they have been unable to bring closure for Sarah's devastated family - and in November's Det Supt Banfield said they had no current suspects.

He added: "Clearly someone out there knows what happened to Sarah all those years ago and we would urge anyone with new information to contact us on 101 or, in confidence, via the Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555111."