**Detectives have been to Kenya as part of a new inquiry into the unsolved murder of a British woman almost 22 years ago, Scotland Yard has said.**The remains of Julie Ward, from Bury St Edmunds, were found in 1988 but no-one has ever been convicted of her killing.
The team of six detectives and a forensics officer have visited the country to help Kenyan police follow up leads including possible DNA evidence.
Ms Ward’s father, John Ward, said the development was “very encouraging”.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said the small team of officers travelled to Kenya in March to assist the Kenyan police with new leads in the case. The team spent 11 days in the African country.
Technical advances
“Metropolitan Police Service officers continue to work closely with, and receive positive co-operation from, the Kenyan authorities in this investigation,” said the spokesman.
Scotland Yard would not be drawn on the details of the fresh investigation but the BBC understands there are hopes that detectives from both countries may be able to make progress with possible DNA evidence recovered from the scene of Ms Ward’s remains. Other leads are also being actively investigated.
The technology behind DNA profiling was in its infancy at the time of Ms Ward’s murder and, since then, the techniques have greatly advanced.
Officers last visited Kenya in November 2009 as part of efforts to restart investigations into the 1988 death.
Wildlife trip
The 28-year-old had been travelling in Kenya photographing wildlife when she went missing.
Her father flew to Kenya to join the search and found parts of her burnt and mutilated remains in the Masai Mara reserve.
Since then, the retired hotelier has been to Kenya more than 100 times in an attempt to force the authorities to take the case seriously.
The police initially said Ms Ward had been killed by wild animals - but the Kenyan courts later overruled detectives, saying she had been murdered.
There have been two murder trials which have seen all defendants acquitted.
At a British inquest into her death, it was claimed there had been a cover-up in Kenya to protect her killers.
A separate report into the affair by Jon Stoddart, now chief constable of Durham, severely criticised the Kenyan police, Foreign Office and Scotland Yard.This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.