A1 Janice Weston murder: Time running out, say police

Janice Weston was a partner at a London-based firm of solicitors

Police investigating the unsolved murder of a solicitor whose body was found 40 years ago have admitted "time is running out" when it comes to capturing her killer.

The body of Janice Weston, 36, was found in a ditch near the A1 in Cambridgeshire on 11 September 1983. She had been bludgeoned to death.

Ms Weston lived and worked in London and was last seen at her office the previous day.

Police said the case was still open.

Ms Weston's body was found close to the Brampton Hut roundabout, near Huntingdon.

Post-mortem tests found she had died as a result of blows to the head.

Ms Weston's Alfa Romeo Alfetta was found in Regent's Park, London

She was last seen at her office, Charles Russell and Co, at Lincoln's Inn Fields in London, at 16:15 BST on 10 September 1983.

Her body was found by a cyclist the following morning.

It was reported at the time that a half-eaten meal was found at her Notting Hill flat, leading police to believe she had left in a hurry.

Her car, a silver Alfa Romeo Alfetta, was later found abandoned in Redhill Street in Regent's Park, London.

Ms Weston's body was found near this spot on the A1, pictured here in 1983

Ms Weston's husband had been on a business trip in France at the time of her murder and was interviewed and ruled out of the inquiry.

On the 35th anniversary of her death, Cambridgeshire Police said it had carried out an "extensive" investigation at the time and appealed for new information.

However, another five years on, no suspects have been identified.

Kelly Knibbs, leading the investigation for Cambridgeshire Police, said: "It is never too late to come forward with information and no unsolved murder case is ever closed.

"However, it is now 40 years since Janice Weston was murdered, and realistically time is running out to bring her killer to justice.

"Advances in forensic techniques mean that exhibits from the case are being re-examined in the hope they will provide new leads."

She urged anyone with information to contact officers, adding: "A lot can change in 40 years and it may be that people who were either afraid or unwilling to come forward at the time feel they can do so now.

"In addition to any new information, we're also keen to speak to people who came forward during the original investigation but maybe did not tell us everything they knew, or those who spoke to Crimewatch but not directly to police."