Police exonerated in Falconio case

Mr Falconio and his girlfriend were ambushed

An internal review of the Australian police investigation into the suspected murder of British tourist Peter Falconio has praised the force's response to the case.

Mr Falconio disappeared on 14 July last year after he and his girlfriend Joanne Lees were attacked while driving through the Australian outback almost a year ago.

The six-week-long review clears police of any major mistakes, but senior officers have admitted some aspects of the investigation could have been handled better.

They have used the publication of the report to reaffirm their commitment to the case saying they will not stop until Mr Falconio's killer is caught.

Our investigation is heading in the right direction and we will not close this case until Peter Falconio's killer is behind bars

Assistant Commissioner John Daulby, Australian police

The police investigation into Mr Falconio's disappearance has been widely criticised, mainly for the slow pace at which police reacted to the incident and the reluctance to release important pieces of evidence to the public.

At a news conference to reveal the results of the investigation, Northern Territory Police Assistant Commissioner John Daulby said all their evidence corroborated Miss Lees' story that a gunman ambushed them on a deserted highway.

Miss Lees, from Almondbury, near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, said their attacker tied her up and threw her in the back of his van, but she managed to struggle free and escape into the bush.

She hid for six hours while he searched for her with his dog.

Ms Lees said she heard a gunshot and police believe it is likely Mr Falconio, from Hepworth, near Huddersfield, was shot and his body dumped.

New leads

Mr Daulby said: "This is an extremely difficult case.

"It occurred in the black of night in a remote part of Australia in harsh, unyielding terrain where witnesses were scarce.

"But the review has shown that police have carried out the right procedures in a timely manner and I remain confident that we will catch the offender.

"Our investigation is heading in the right direction and we will not close this case until Peter Falconio's killer is behind bars and we can bring peace to the Falconio family."

Joanne Lees was tied up and thrown into a van

In March, Miss Lees accused Australian police of "taking it easy" over her boyfriend's suspected murder.

The force has now revealed details of further leads in the case, in an effort to jog the public's memory.

They have released a detailed list of sightings of the vehicle driven by Peter Falconio and his girlfriend and the four-wheel-drive truck that stopped them before the attack.

Officers say these details back up Joanne Lees' account of the hijack.

It has also been revealed that another group of British travellers had a similar encounter in June of last year, while travelling in outback Queensland.

Unlike Peter Falconio they did not stop when the driver signalled for them to pull over.

The investigation team ploughed through 100 statements, sifted through almost 23,000 pieces of information and interviewed police, witnesses and forensic specialists.