DORSET police have warned the killer of mother-of-two Heather Barnett that they will never give up.

This is the message from Detective Superintendent Phil James, head of Dorset police's Major Crime Investigation Team, following the recent successful conviction of Jong-Ok Shin's killer Omar Benguit.

It took police two-and-a- half years and three trials to see Benguit jailed for life for the death of the 26-year-old South Korean language student.

Now Mr James says the MCIT are still hopeful of solving the outstanding Heather Barnett murder case.

Mr James said: "Hopefully it is reassuring to the people of Dorset, in particular to Heather's Barnett's family that Dorset police don't give up.

"The Heather case does remain outstanding, but we are as determined to solve that case and bring the offender to justice as we were in the Shin case.

"That took three years and we are determined to bring Heather's killer to justice regardless of the length of time it takes.

"Rest assured Heather has not been forgotten."

Mum-of-two Heather, 48, was murdered in her home in Capstone Road, Charminster, on November 12, 2002.

She had been attacked with a hammer and a knife, her breasts removed and two strands of someone else's cut hair placed in her hands.

Since Heather's death police have followed numerous lines of enquiry.

In September last year Mr James and a team of detectives met with the national head of Italy's anti-Mafia police in Rome.

Dorset officers are now convinced that the man who killed Heather was also responsible for the disappearance of a 16-year-old Italian girl in 1993.

Elisa Claps went missing in her home town of Potenza on September 12. Although her body was never found, her family and police believe she was murdered.

First published: February 4