Police arrest man over the unsolved 1999 murder of Victoria Hall, 17, whose naked body was found in a ditch five days after she vanished while walking home from a nightclub
Police have arrested a man on suspicion of the murder of a 17-year-old girl who went missing on her way home from a nightclub in 1999.
Victoria Hall was strangled and her body was discovered in a water-filled ditch on September 24 1999, five days after she was last seen alive.
Suffolk Police reopened their investigation in 2019 after receiving fresh witness information, which they would not expand upon.
Victoria, or Vicky, from Trimley St Mary, left home on the evening of September 18 1999 for a night out with a friend at the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe.
The girls left the club at around 1am the following morning and parted ways at around 2.20am, yards from Victoria's home. That was the last time she was seen alive.
Victoria Hall was strangled and her body was discovered in a water-filled ditch on September 24 1999, five days after she was last seen alive
Police close to the location where Vicky's body was found five days after she disappeared while on her way home from a nightclub
Her parents awoke in the morning to discover their daughter had not returned home and a missing persons inquiry was launched.
Her body was found five days later in Creeting St Peter, around 25 miles (40km) from where she was last seen.
None of her clothing or possessions have been found.
The case was reopened on the 20th anniversary of her death after police received new 'information from witnesses' which they described at the time as 'significant'.
More than 9,000 statements, documents, messages and reports from the original investigation were reviewed by detectives.
Suffolk Police said a man was arrested on Wednesday morning on suspicion of murder in connection with the inquiry.
He has been taken into police custody, where he remains for questioning.
He is not someone who has previously been arrested as part of the inquiry, the force said.
No details were given about his age or where he was arrested.
Vicky left her home in Faulkeners Way in Trimley St Mary, at 9pm on September 18, 1999, to join friends at the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe.
At the end of the night, the pair walked back along Trimley High Road towards their respective homes while eating chips and singing, before splitting up at the junction of Faulkeners Way at 2.20am.
A short time later Gemma heard screams, but assumed it was someone messing around.
Suffolk Police said a man was arrested on Wednesday morning on suspicion of murder of Vicky
Vicky's parents Graham and Lorinda Hall reported her missing in the morning and a huge hunt for her got underway.
Her naked body was found by a dog walker on September 24 in a water-filled ditch around 20 miles away in Creeting St Peter near Stowmarket, Suffolk.
Victoria Hall murder: A timeline of events
September 18, 1999: Victoria Hall leaves her home around 9pm to join friends at the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe.
September 19: The 17-year-old disappeared while walking home from the nightclub around 1am. He friend last saw her 2.20am after they both got takeaway chips and went their separate ways home.
September 24: Her strangled body was found in a water-filled ditch around 20 miles away in Creeting St Peter near Stowmarket, Suffolk.
Adrian Bradshaw, then aged 27, was charged with murder.
November 2001: Porsche-driving businessman goes on trial for murder at Norwich Crown Court.
November: Jurors took less than 90 minutes to find him not guilty.
July 28 2021: Suffolk Police arrest a man on suspicion of murder.
September 2019: The case was reopened on the 20th anniversary of her death.
Tests revealed that Vicky who had just started her second year of studying A levels at Orwell High School, Felixstowe, had not been sexually assaulted.
Adrian Bradshaw, then aged 27, who owned the Felixstowe Flyer free newspaper was charged with murder after one of the biggest ever investigations to be undertaken by Suffolk Police.
But the Porsche-driving businessman was cleared of her murder in November 2001 and jurors at Norwich Crown Court took less than 90 minutes to find him not guilty after key evidence in the police probe was undermined in court.
After the new arrest, Suffolk Police said in a statement: 'Police investigating the unsolved murder of a teenage girl from Trimley St Mary - which took place over 20 years ago - have made an arrest as part of the inquiry.
'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.
'When Victoria's parents woke-up that morning and discovered that she had not returned home, the police were called and a missing person inquiry commenced.
'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.
Graham and Lorinda Hall, the parents of Vicky Hall, 17, who was murdered in September 1999
'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.
'As a result of the work that has been ongoing for the past two years, officers have arrested a man on suspicion of murder this morning, Wednesday 28 July.
'He has been taken into police custody where he currently remains for questioning. This individual is not someone who has previously been arrested as part of this inquiry.'
Detectives continue to ask for anyone with information about Victoria's death to contact the Major Investigation Team.
Call the incident room directly on either 0800 092 0410 or 020 7158 0124.
These lines will be open until 10pm on Thursday, and thereafter, people are asked to call 01473 782059 and quote Operation Avon.
Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.