Interpol hunt for Hannah suspect

Interpol hunt for Hannah suspect

Hannah was last seen after a night out in Southampton

Police hunting the killer of teenager Hannah Foster have revealed that a key suspect left the country four days after the student was abducted.

Interpol is now involved in the hunt for the suspect, who is believed to have travelled to India on 18 March.

Detectives have also said the 17-year-old from Southampton was raped before she was murdered.

Hannah's body was found in undergrowth in West End, Hampshire, after a night out in Southampton on 14 March.

'Strong suspect'

Detective Inspector Tony Adams, of Hampshire Police said: "We are now in a position to confirm that we have a strong suspect for the abduction, rape and murder of Hannah Foster.

"Hannah's family are fully aware of this development.

"We do not intend to name this individual at present but we believe that he left the country on 18 March and travelled to India four days after Hannah's abduction.

"We are currently liaising with police overseas, Interpol, immigration services, international airports and the Crown Prosecution Service in order to progress this matter swiftly, locate this man and return him to the UK."

Hannah was last seen on 14 March as she waved goodbye to a friend who was getting on a bus in Highfield Lane, Portswood, Southampton, just half a mile from Hannah's home.

Her body was found two days later dumped in undergrowth in the West End area of Southampton.

A post-mortem examination revealed she had been strangled but until now police said there were no signs that she had been sexually assaulted.

Police had previously issued appeals to trace an Asian man who had talked to her on two occasions close to her home and had called her by her name.

They were investigating the theory that Hannah had been stalked by this man.

On Thursday Police raided a business premises in the Empress Park industrial estate in the St Denys area of the city.

A house close to where Hannah lived had also been searched by specialist police officers.