A dedicated team of detectives and police staff remain committed to the investigation into the murder of a teenage girl from Trimley St Mary, as the 24thanniversary of the crime is marked tomorrow.

Victoria Hall, aged 17, was last seen alive in the early hours of Sunday 19 September 1999, in High Road, Trimley St Mary.

Victoria left home on the evening of Saturday 18 September 1999 to go for a night out with a friend at the Bandbox nightclub in Bent Hill, Felixstowe, where they remained until around 1am on the morning of Sunday 19 September.

They then went to get some food at the Bodrum Grill in Undercliff Road West, before beginning the walk back to Trimley St Mary. They parted at around 2.20am near to the junction of High Road and Faulkeners Way. Victoria was just yards away from her home.

Five days later, on Friday 24 September, Victoria's naked body was found in a ditch beside a field by a dog walker in Creeting Lane, Creeting St Peter, approximately 25 miles away from where she was last seen.

In September 2019, Suffolk Police revealed that the case – known as Operation Avon - was now a live inquiry again and being fully reinvestigated by a new team of detectives, after fresh information had been received that was not previously known.

The dedicated inquiry team remains in place, comprised of 17 officers and police staff who are working full time on the case. They are continuing to make excellent progress in what is a lengthy and methodical process.

A man who was arrested on suspicion of murder on 28 July 2021 and taken into police custody for questioning, remains under investigation.

Following the retirement of the previous Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), another senior murder detective - who had been a Deputy SIO for Operation Avon - has now taken over the leadership of the inquiry.

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick, the new Senior Investigating Officer, said: "I have been working on this case for the past three years, so am fully embedded in the inquiry and have been able to seamlessly pick-up the baton from my predecessors who had made significant inroads already. We remain fully committed to this inquiry; the work being undertaken is extremely time consuming but absolutely necessary.

"The anniversary date of Victoria's disappearance is always a time of reflection for us, as well as Victoria's family and friends. We never lose sight of the young life ended so needlessly at the centre of everything we are doing.

"We continue to be grateful for the support and patience of Victoria's family and we ensure they are provided with regular updates as to the progress we are making. They understand the vital lengths that we need to take to achieve the end goal for us all - which is to achieve justice for Victoria. 

"I would like to renew our appeal to anyone with information about Victoria's murder who has not yet come forward, to do the right thing and contact us. If you have any information - no matter how insignificant this may seem - we want to hear from you. It is never too late."

Anyone with information about Victoria's murder is asked to contact the Major Investigation Team, via either the online portal or by telephone as detailed below:

• - Major Incident Public Reporting Portal – https://mipp.police.uk/operation/3637020112A02-PO2
• - Phone – call the incident room direct on 01473 782059 and quote Operation Avon

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form: www.crimestoppers-uk.org