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[This edited version of the report has been prepared by Dr Robert N Moles]

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On 5 August 2008 Lndsay Mcintosh of The Scotsman reported “Top police officer to lead review into Dando murder".

He said a top Scotland Yard detective is to lead a team of specialist officers in a review of the Jill Dando murder case, it was announced last night. Commander Simon Foy, head of the homicide and serious crime unit, was given the go-ahead to look again at the evidence. The move came after the man jailed for the doorstep execution was freed following a retrial. Jurors returned a verdict of not guilty in the case of Barry George on Friday.

Yesterday, Mr Foy met to discuss the case with Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who led the cash-for-honours inquiry, and Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell, who was in charge of the original Dando inquiry. After the meeting, Mr Yates said Mr Foy would lead a team of specialist officers from Homicide Command in a re-examination of evidence. He said: "As with all unsolved murders, this case remains open and subject to review.

A £50,000 reward from the charity Crimestoppers still remains available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Ms Dando's murderer. "We continue to appeal for any new information and keep an open mind in relation to this case," Mr Yates said. "This investigation has been subject to numerous reviews and assessments, by the Met's internal review group, the Crown Prosecution Service, Criminal Case Review Commission, two senior independent Treasury Council and the Court of Appeal."

Forensic expert says fresh Dando evidence needed

Police will need fresh evidence or an arrest that reveals new links to another case to make a breakthrough in catching Jill Dando's killer, according to a city expert in forensic medicine.

Anthony Busuttil, Professor Emeritus of Forensic Medicine at Edinburgh University, said that officers are likely to have reviewed the evidence they hold on her murder at least once already. "A cold case review is triggered if there is no suspect within a month or if there is an appeal."

Barry George has twice appealed his conviction. "Assuming that all the evidence they had was gone through with a fine-tooth comb, there is nowhere else they can go." Instead, he said, police will be hoping for new evidence. "The only new forensic technique available to the police is DNA analysis. Infinitesimally small quantities are needed now to produce a match. I would imagine that the clothing will be looked at very closely indeed." "A breakthrough could come with new suspects, they might come in from other cases, if somebody is arrested in another case and circumstantial evidence links them to this one."

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