A NEW witness could throw fresh light on the death of Suffolk wildlife photographer Julie Ward 20 years ago.The body of Miss Ward was found abandoned at the Mara Bridge in Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve.

A NEW witness could throw fresh light on the death of Suffolk wildlife photographer Julie Ward 20 years ago.

The body of Miss Ward was found abandoned at the Mara Bridge in Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve.

At first the Kenyan authorities refused to investigate until, the following year, a court in the country ruled she had been murdered.

Her father, John Ward, of Bury St Edmunds, has tirelessly sought to find out what happened to her and to bring those responsible to justice.

He returned from Kenya last week and said a new witness had come forward with important information relating to the case. He said he was currently unable to identify the witness amid concerns over their safety.

He also confirmed new leads had been found in the case. Most of these, he said, were forensic in nature but was again unwilling to comment on the specifics because the leads were currently in Kenya.

It has also emerged that Scotland Yard's assistant commissioner John Yates has taken over the British end of the investigation into Miss Ward's death.

Mr Ward said: “It is a really positive development. This case will take somebody who is a straight talker unafraid of authority. Mr Yates is such a man.”