Murder detectives seek two men

Detectives hunting the killer of a 77-year-old retired teacher have issued descriptions of two men seen in the area around her riverside home.

The men were seen separately near the River Severn close to Bewdley, Worcestershire, on Monday January 2, two days before Betty Yates was found dead.

Police believe that Mrs Yates was killed on January 2 and say they are keen to trace the men and eliminate them from their inquiries.

Both males were seen by walkers during the mid-afternoon of January 2 in the area between the Riverside Caravan Park and Riverscroft cottage, where Mrs Yates was stabbed.

One of the men was seen in woodland by a couple walking with a group near Painsmore Cottage.

Described as white and in his late 20s to early 30s with brown hair, the man was wearing dark trousers and a baggy, cherry red, waterproof-style coat with a hood which was down.

The second man was seen by a different couple walking alone on a track off the riverside, close to a disused railway line.

He was also white and described as in mid to late 40s, pale faced and of medium build and clean shaven with short brown hair.

He was wearing a plain, light-coloured, three-quarter length coat with a single row of buttons.

He was also wearing dark trousers and shoes.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Jamieson, who is leading the murder hunt, said: "These are new sightings of people who were in the relevant area on Bank Holiday Monday who have not yet come forward following our appeals and we need to trace them if only to eliminate them from our inquiries.

"I would ask them to get in touch with us or anyone who recognises them from these descriptions to call us.

"It is important that we know about anyone who was in that area between Dowles Road and the riverside during the afternoon and evening of that Bank Holiday Monday and establish what they were doing there."

The officer added: "From the information we are continuing to receive it is apparent that there were other people around there who we have yet to identify.

"For instance we believe there were cyclists travelling north on the riverside path between Bewdley and Arley that afternoon and we need to speak to them in case they saw something that could help the investigation.

"We also need to contact any anglers, including members of Kidderminster and District Angling Association, who may have been using that stretch of the river.

"It is now more than a month since Betty Yates was found murdered but I can assure people that we are doing absolutely everything that can be done to identify the person or people responsible.

"It is a massive inquiry but no resource is being spared and we will continue until Betty's killer is caught."

PA