A CAR was seen near Betty Yates’ cottage on the night of her murder, Police were told following last night’s Crimewatch appeal.

A caller said they had seen a car being driven in Dowles Road early in the evening on January 2, when police believe Mrs Yates was stabbed to death in her own home.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Jamieson said: "The car is believed to have been a silver coloured Audi estate which was being driven towards Button Oak and we really need to identify who was in that vehicle if only to eliminate them from our inquiry.

“They could also be potential witnesses as we seek to establish who else was in the area around that time, so I would ask anyone who thinks this might be them or knows who might have been driving that car to contact us.”

He added: "It is only one of many lines of inquiry but one important detail we have not yet established is whether anyone visited Betty Yates at her cottage between her return from spending Christmas with relatives on December 28 and the evening when we believe she was murdered.

"She was very sociable, knew a lot of people and was involved in many local groups. Yet, surprisingly, we have not found or heard from anyone who saw her at home either for her birthday on the 28th, the day she got back, or in the run-up to and during New Year, including the Bank Holiday Monday.

“If anyone went to see her at Riverscroft between those dates, even if they were there for only a few moments, then it is vital that they come forward. This is a huge inquiry and knowing who else has been at the cottage could prevent officers wasting time and resources that could be focused on other parts of the investigation."

A number of calls were made to the BBC studio and the major incident room at Stourport, after presenter Kirsty Young appealed for information about the 77-year-old widow’s murder.

Despite the appeal focusing on information from the authors of two anonymous letters to police, no one has come forward.

Mrs Yates was found dead at her riverside cottage, a mile down a track off Dowles Road, on January 4. She had been beaten with one of her own walking sticks and knifed in the neck.

It is believed that the cottage was locked up afterwards using her keys attached to a black, pencil-case size purse which is still missing.

The major incident room can be contacted on 0300 333 3000 and a reward of up to £10,000 is still on offer from Crimestoppers for anyone who calls the independent charity on 0800 555 111 with information leading to an arrest and conviction of the killer or killers.