Murdered skydiver's parents visit airfield

Police investigating Mr Hilder's death have interviewed over 200 people

The parents of murdered skydiver Stephen Hilder have visited the airfield where he died.

The 20-year-old fell 13,000 feet to his death at Hibaldstow Airfield, near Brigg, Lincolnshire, on 4 July.

A murder investigation was launched after it was revealed the cord on his main parachute and the strapping on his reserve chute were deliberately severed.

Detectives have interviewed more than 200 people, including family, friends, teachers and fellow students at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, and Bristol University.

I believe that the person responsible for Stephen's death has confided in another person Det Supt Colin Andrews

Paul and Mary Hilder, the parents of the Oxfordshire army cadet, went to the airfield on Thursday.

They spoke to Detective Superintendent Colin Andrews who is leading the investigation.

He said: "We are working closely with the family and were very pleased to see them."

"We talked at length about the investigation and that communication will continue throughout the course of the inquiry."

He added that although a motive had not yet been found he remained confident that the mystery would be solved.

"We still have a lot of inquiries to make and there is some real hard spade work to put in, but we will get to the bottom of this and we will find out who killed Stephen.

"I believe that the person responsible for Stephen's death has confided in another person and I am appealing to that individual to contact us and tell us what they know."

Police are trying to piece together Mr Hilder's movements the night before his death.

He attended a fancy dress party and karoke night at the skydiving centre on 3 July and officers want to know what time he left and where he went.

A reconstruction of the events leading up to the Mr Hilder's death is to feature on the BBC 1's Crimewatch programme at 2100 BST on Thursday 24 July.