Vicky Glass murder: Police release CCTV of Middlesbrough woman in hours before disappearance

Police said they have uncovered a "significant" new line of enquiry into the murder of woman 22 years ago.

The investigating team have released newly obtained CCTV footage revealing Vicky Glass' movements in the hours before she disappeared.

Ms Glass was found murdered on 3 November 2000 in a stream in the village of Danby, North Yorkshire – almost exactly 22 years ago.

The 21-year-old had been last seen more than a month earlier being dropped off by a taxi driver at 4am on 24 September 2000 on Union Street in Middlesbrough.

The footage, which is being released today, (4 November 2022) has offered police significant new insight into the investigation.

It shows Ms Glass with a friend in the Cannon Park area of Middlesbrough hours before being dropped off by the taxi.

Cleveland Police has spoken to the friend who said shortly before the footage was taken Ms Glass engaged in a conversation with a lorry driver who provided her with some money. 

She said Ms Glass left some personal effects with the lorry driver and agreed to meet him later in the day.

The investigating team is now keen to speak to the lorry driver, or anyone who might know his identity. He is described as male, white, aged about 34 to 38 at the time, of broad build and as having a distinctive mole on his face.

The footage also reveals what Cleveland Police now believe Ms Glass was wearing on the day of her disappearance: light-coloured trousers, a light-coloured top, white trainers and a dark coloured puffer style jacket. 

Cleveland Police has released the CCTV footage in the hope more people come forward to help with the investigation based on details they remember having viewed it. 

The investigation team are extremely interested to speak to the lorry driver or anyone who might know his identity. 

They are returning to Danby to speak to residents in a ramping up of the reinvestigation, which started last year after a review of the case found "significant" new lines of enquiry - police said at the time.

While in the village, Cleveland Police will be distributing flyers and questionnaires to residents to try and jog people’s memories of any potential sightings of Ms Glass in the area in November 2000. 

They want to know whether residents of Danby had any concerns about people residing in or visiting the village prior to her body being found.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Carr said: "We are calling on the residents of Danby to try and think back to November 2000. 

"We now have CCTV footage and witness accounts showing Vicky fit and well in Middlesbrough in September 2000.

"A few months later her body was found in Danby, North Yorkshire. Vicky did not have access to a car and wasn’t known to frequent or have any association to Danby. Therefore, the enquiries being undertaken are crucial and we ask the residents to help if they can.

"We will be in Danby for a few days continuing our enquiries and will be based in the Village Hall so if you have new information or knew Vicky and have not spoken to the police before, please come forward."

• Archive (2003): Vicky Glass' mother speaks before laying flowers at the site where her daughter's body was discovered three years earlier.

Ms Glass' family has released a plea for people to help. They said: "We feel the loss of Vicky every day, she deserves justice and hope that this reinvestigation puts those responsible behind bars.

"She did not deserve to have her life taken, no one had the right to do that.

"Vicky was loved deeply by us, and as a family we have been through turmoil especially as mam Deborah passed away without any answers, knowing Vicky’s killer is out there and people have information that they are not coming forward with.

"Please do the right thing and help get justice for Vicky and give our family some hope of healing.  We plead with you to do the right thing by contacting the police or Crimestoppers."

Four people have been arrested in connection with Vicky’s murder since 2000, but all have been released with no further action.

The reinvestigation into Ms Glass' death was relaunched in 2021 after the case was reviewed by Cleveland Police’s Historical Investigation Unit.

A newly formed team, led by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Carr, has been actively reinvestigating her death using new forensic techniques, speaking to potential witnesses and looking at more than 200 hours of CCTV footage from the time of her disappearance.

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