Women arrested in Milly inquiry

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of harassing the family of missing teenager Amanda Dowler, police confirmed today.

The 20-year-old woman from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, was arrested after the Dowlers complained of receiving hoax telephone calls at their home in Walton-on-Thames.

A Surrey Police spokeswoman said that the woman was arrested by Gloucestershire Police last Tuesday.

She added: "The woman has been released on police bail until May 13 pending further inquiries."

Nothing has been seen of the Dowlers' 13-year-old daughter, known as Milly, since she disappeared walking home from the train station in Walton-on-Thames on March 21.

One of the country's leading experts on child killings has today joined the hunt for her.

Detective Inspector Chuck Burton, who has helped to catch some of Britain's most notorious child killers, will help create a "Cracker-style" profile of the person who may have abducted Amanda.

The recruitment of Mr Burton is the strongest indication yet that police believe the 13-year-old was kidnapped rather than ran away from home.

His help was enlisted by Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Gibson, leading the investigation. Among the most high-profile cases he has been involved in is that of the Sarah Payne murder. Roy Whiting was jailed for life for her murder.

Mr Burton heads the major Incident Support Unit based in Ripley, Derbyshire. He runs a national register of child murders and sex assaults and will be using this to draw up a list of possible suspects.

A Surrey Police spokesman said today: "We are making use of any available expertise. Mr Burton is one of a number of individuals who has advised us. We are determined to do anything practicable to determine what has happened to Amanda Dowler."

Mr Burton said: "I can confirm I have been liaising with officers on the case but clearly I'm not at liberty to discuss any of the work we are doing."

Meanwhile Milly's parents continue their agonising wait for news following the disappearance of their daughter on 21 March in Walton-on-Thames. Police say results of forensic tests on a white purse, possibly that carried by Milly, will be known later this week.