Shoe found in hunt for Sarah's killer

Police hunting the killer of eight-year-old Sarah Payne believe they have found one of her shoes near the spot where her body was dumped in undergrowth.

Police hunting the killer of eight-year-old Sarah Payne believe they have found one of her shoes near the spot where her body was dumped in undergrowth.

The black, right-footed shoe was found near the tiny village of Coolham in West Sussex, which is less than four miles from Pulborough, where Sarah's naked body was discovered in a field off the A29 on Monday.

The shoe now being examined by forensic experts and detectives hope it will hold vital clues to the killer's identity, such as fibres transfered from him, or DNA samples.

The search continues for Sarah's other shoe, her dark blue Fred Perry-style dress, and her underwear.

The shoe was found by a local woman in a hedge 200 yards south of the A272 on the west side of the road.

Police said it looked as if it had been casually discarded with no effort made to conceal i, and could possibly have been thrown from a vehicle or placed at the scene by someone on foot.

The breakthrough came just hours after it emerged that campers heard a little girl's screams on July 1, the night Sarah vanished.

They have only just come forward to report the chilling cries after realising that their campsite at Fittleworth was only about three miles from where the eight-year-old's body was found.

Police have taken statements from the two young couples, who told them they were concerned about the screams but did not attach sufficient importance to them.

The campers came forward yesterday after hearing Sarah's distraught parents, Sara and Michael Payne, both 31, begging the nation to help find her killer during an emotionally-charged news conference.