Girl was seen near Amanda's grave

Two men were seen with a schoolgirl in a field near the spot where Amanda Dowler was found dead, police said yesterday.

They were spotted in the wooded area near Yateley, Hampshire, about an hour after Amanda, 13, was abducted 25 miles away in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

The detective in charge of the murder inquiry described the development as very significant.

Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Denholm said: "It would be dangerous for us to say that it was categorically Amanda but clearly we are very interested in the sighting. This is about an hour after she disappeared, which is clearly the driving time between Walton and Yateley Heath."

Surrey Police are looking for three cars and a white van seen in the area around Yateley Heath Woods at around 5pm on Thursday 21 March, the day Amanda, known as Milly, was abducted. The remains of the teenager were found in the woods on 18 September.

The new witness, a local man in his 30s who came forward about a week ago, described seeing a girl dressed in a dark school blazer and grey skirt or dress, similar to the clothes Amanda was wearing when she was last seen alive. There was a man immediately behind her and another about six feet away.

The witness said they were standing behind a gorse bush in the middle of a large clearing in the wood. The trio were about 300 yards from where the remains were discovered.

The teenager is believed to have been killed and dumped in undergrowth shortly after her abduction.

The police also want to trace other possible witnesses and vehicles seen at the same time along Minley Road, which runs by the side of the wood were the Amanda's remains were found.

They include the owner of a dark medium-sized car the size of a Ford Mondeo or Escort, a white van, a medium-sized dark car with two young men inside, and a silver or grey new model Volvo.

Police said most of the remains had been discovered, some up to 70 yards from the scene. But there was still no sign of Amanda's clothes or possessions.