Outback body 'not missing Briton'

Mr Falconio and his girlfriend were ambushed

Australian Police searching for missing Briton Peter Falconio say the body of a man found near an Outback highway was not that of the British backpacker.

A post mortem confirmed the body found south of Alice Springs was not Mr Falconio, who went missing on 14 July after he and his girlfriend were ambushed on a remote desert highway.

"The significant thing out of this inquiry to date is that it's not Peter Falconio," Northern Territory Assistant Commissioner John Daulby told Australian television.

"We have identified (the body) although we can't release his name because we haven't found his next of kin."

Police said the white male, who was found by local residents, died of fatal stab wounds to the neck.

CCTV suspect

On Monday police released CCTV footage of a man matching the description of Mr Falconio's suspected kidnapper.

The enhanced stills show a man buying diesel, ice and water in a Shell truck shop north of Alice Springs a few hours after the abduction.

Also pictured is the man's pick-up truck, similar to the customised vehicle thought to have been used in the kidnapping.

The truck caught on CCTV is similar to that described by Joanne Lees

A Northern Territory police spokesman said the CCTV footage could prove crucial in the hunt for Mr Falconio's attacker.

"We need to know who this man is and we hope somebody will recognise him from the footage.

"It could be that the man is wholly unconnected to the abduction - but equally it could provide the breakthrough this investigation needs."

Gunshot heard

Mr Falconio, 28, disappeared three weeks ago when he and girlfriend Joanne Lees stopped their van in the Australian outback north of Alice Springs.

Miss Lees told police they stopped the van because they were flagged down by another driver.

Detectives issued an e-fit of the gunman

After Mr Falconio got out of his vehicle, Miss Lees says she heard what sounded like a gunshot.

She was then bound and gagged by the attacker but managed to escape and hide for almost six hours before being helped by a passing truck driver.

Blood matching Mr Falconio's DNA was found at the ambush scene.