Sarah search claim dropped

Roundstone Farm, scene of reconstruction

A millionaire farmer has withdrawn his claim for compensation for alleged damage to his crops by police hunting murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne.

Paul Langmead, of Roundstone Farm, was seeking £10,000 from West Sussex police.

Sarah's family openly condemned his decision.

The people around here are just totally disgusted

Terry Payne, Sarah's grandfather

Mr Langmead has now withdrawn the claim owing to the "unhappiness" it has caused his family and staff.

The farmer, who owns the wheat field where Sarah was playing before she was abducted three weeks ago, said his crop had been destroyed in the hunt for the missing schoolgirl.

Forensic teams had searched the field for clues and detectives staged a reconstruction there of Sarah's last known movements.

Sarah's grandfather, Terry Payne, spoke on Saturday of the family's disbelief at the farmer's claim.

"I was shaking with anger," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

'Bad taste'

"The people around here are just totally disgusted.

"If anybody wants to come down and have a look at the field, there's nothing wrong with the field at all. The amount he is claiming is totally ridiculous."

Assistant Chief Constable of Sussex Police, Nigel Yeo, also voiced surprise at the timing of the farmer's provisional claim for compensation.

Terry Payne: Angered by farmer's claim

"I'm not sure in all fairness whether a specific claim has arrived," he said.

"I have only seen a letter saying that one is being considered.

"I think it would be fair to say that it was greeted with a cross between slight disbelief, and bad taste, and then people got on with their job."

He added: "If there was damage done to crops or something else during the course of an inquiry then quite properly we would pay it".

Mr Langmead insisted he had been deeply distressed by the schoolgirl's murder but could not ignore the damage that had been done to his crops.

Sarah's parents Michael and Sara are trying to focus their attention on mourning their daughter.

Road blocks

They hope to hold a memorial celebration Sarah's life at Guildford Cathedral and say they have been heartened by messages of support from around the world, including letters from Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Duchess of York.

The police investigation continues on Saturday with specialist search teams hunting Sarah's other shoe and blue sports dress.

A roadblock is being mounted the A29 near Pulborough, West Sussex, where her naked body was discovered on 17 July.

Sarah's parents plan a memorial service

They are also carrying out house-to-house inquiries around a property in Crawley where a Littlehampton man, arrested after Sarah went missing, had been staying after he was released on police bail.

In addition officer will question people at local events in West Sussex, including a car boot sale at the Toat Caf on Sunday, a few miles south of where Sarah was found.

A campsite in Fittleworth where campers reported hearing a child screaming on the night Sarah disappeared has already been search by officers.

Mr Yeo said the inquiry into Sarah's murder was taking time.

"Because you only get one crack at gathering evidence it is a very slow, painstaking process," he said.

"Some of the forensic tests can take up to six weeks,"

Detectives have received more than 33,000 calls from the public about the investigation.