British women 'saw outback ambush suspect'

Two British women have contacted police to say they believe they may have met the man suspected of abducting British tourist Peter Falconio in Australia.

Cheshire Police have confirmed they were helping Australian detectives investigating the suspected murder of British backpacker after being contacted by the two women.

The force was contacted by the women with photographs of a man who looks similar to the moustachioed suspect hunted in connection with the attack.

The photographs were taken by the women on a recent trip to Australia, when they befriended the man as they travelled around by camper van.

Both women live in London but were visiting family in Warrington, Cheshire, when they realised the similarity and contacted police.

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said they had sent the three photographs and statements from both women to detectives in Alice Springs.

He refused to reveal details of the two women and said the force has no plans to release the photographs.

Mr Falconio, 28, of Hepworth, near Huddersfield, and his girlfriend Joanne Lees, 27, of Almondbury, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, were flagged down by a man near the remote township of Barrow Creek as they travelled towards Darwin in their camper van on July 14.

Minutes after Mr Falconio stopped the couple’s VW camper van on the Stuart Highway in the desolate Northern Territory and got out of the vehicle, Miss Lees heard what she thought was a gunshot.

He has not been seen since.

The Australian authorities have offered an Aus250,000 (stg£89,000) reward to help catch the gunman.