DETECTIVES have a new lead to follow after the Jim Attfield murder appeal appeared on Crimewatch.

Two more of the 20 plus people whose CCTV pictures were released have been identified and police will be speaking them to see if they can help solve the month old murder.

Father-of-five Jim, a 33-year-old student from East Bay, Colchester, was found stabbed 102 times near Lower Castle Park and Guildford Road, at 5.45am on Saturday, March 29.

He died soon after.

A man and a woman who were seen on CCTV walking through Lower Castle Park at 2.19am on Saturday, March 29, have now been traced after images were shown on the BBC Crimewatch programme last night.

Detectives are making arrangements to interview the man and woman to establish whether they have any further information about other people seen in the park at the same time.

Eight people have been identified but 15 others are yet to come forward.

Det Chief Insp Simon Werrett said: "The programme was extremely useful.

"We still need to trace 15 people and would appeal to anyone who was in the park at the time and has not yet spoken to police to contact us as soon as possible.

"If anyone knows anything, no matter how small or trivial they think the information might be, please do get in touch with my investigation team.

"We still need help from the public to establish what Mr Attfield’s movements were between the River Lodge pub shortly after 10pm on Friday, March 28 and when he was found dying from stab wounds in Lower Castle Park shortly before 6am on Saturday, March 29.”

Knives found during searches were not connected to the murder meaning officers still need to find the weapon or weapons used to kill Mr Attfield.

Det Chief Insp Simon Werrett said: "We are convinced the knife is still out there and so are the killer’s clothes which are likely to be covered in blood.

"Someone must know where that knife and the clothes are.”

A reward of up to £5,000 has been offered by Crimestoppers for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person, or persons, responsible.

Anyone with information is asked to call Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

On Wednesday, April 23, a 27-year-old man from Colchester was arrested in connection with the murder.

He and a 27-year-old woman, also from the town, are on police bail until Friday, May 9, pending further enquiries.