Australian police make breakthrough in search for tourist

Australian police hunting for missing British tourist Peter Falconio and the man suspected of abducting and possibly murdering him said today they had found a ‘‘significant’’ DNA clue.

The announcement comes nearly three weeks after Mr Falconio, from Hepworth, near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and his girlfriend Joanne Lees, 27, of Almondbury, West Yorkshire, were attacked by a mystery gunman on a remote highway in central Australia.

Miss Lees told police the man flagged the couple down, lured Mr Falconio out of the car and may have shot him. Neither man has been seen since.

The armed man then bound and gagged Miss Lees and tossed her in his car. She managed to escape and raise the alarm, she told police.

The Northern Territory Police assistant commissioner said detectives had found DNA on Miss Lees’ clothing that did not belong to her or Falconio.

‘‘It’s a small but significant breakthrough in that DNA from a third person has been found on the clothing of Joanne,’’ Daulby said without elaborating.

The DNA was being compared with DNA data bases in Australia and overseas, he said.

Mr Falconio, 28, disappeared July 14 on the Stuart Highway north of Alice Springs.

Despite one of the biggest manhunts launched in Outback Australia, involving police in planes and helicopters, roadblocks throughout the region and even Aboriginal trackers, no trace has been found of Mr Falconio.