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Undated handout picture of Rikki Neave PA Wire
rikki neave

Police in UK arrest suspect over murder of schoolboy 22 years ago

This follows an appeal on BBC’s Crimewatch programme late last year.

POLICE IN THE United Kingdom have arrested a man in connection with the 1994 murder of a schoolboy.

Rikki Neave was six years old when he disappeared from his home in Peterborough.

A man, in his thirties and from the Peterborough area, was arrested this morning by officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.

Last year an episode of BBC’s Crimewatch programme made an appeal for information about Neave’s murder. 

The programme resulted in 17 calls being made to investigators.

He was last seen leaving for school on 28 November, his naked body was found a day later in a nearby woodland area with his clothing found in a nearby wheelie bin.

The location where he was discovered was a five minute walk from his house in Welland Estate in the city.

A post mortem examination concluded that Neave died as a result of strangulation

The investigation into his murder was relaunched in June of last year and involved a collaboration between the three Major Crime Units in the local area.

Rikki’s mother Ruth had earlier been charged with his murder but cleared at trial, according to the BBC. 

Comments have been closed as legal proceedings are ongoing. 

Read: Mother sentenced to 24 years in jail for stamping daughter to death

Also: Father makes emotional appeal to find son’s killer: ‘Why did they do that to Mark? He was harmless’