Police have renewed their hunt for the killer of hit-and-run victim Tina Thorne on the first anniversary of the tragedy.

As her husband Melvyn prepared to see in the New Year at the spot she was killed, police officers teamed up with This Is Essex feerder paper the Echo to launch a second poster campaign in the hope of gaining fresh information.

Mrs Thorne, 38, of Redgrave Road, Basildon, died after being mown down in the town's Whitmore Way by a mystery driver in the early hours of New Year's Day.

Despite heart-rending appeals by Mr Thorne and his sons, Mitchell, 14, Jack, 12, and Luey, nine, the killer has still not been traced.

Mr Thorne plans to keep up their tradition of attending a party at Basildon fire station before visiting the tragic site with pals as the clock strikes midnight.

He said: "It will bring back painful memories but I've got to go up and have a drink with my wife. I'm going with my heart and what I feel."

Mr Thorne plans to take his sons to a new life in Ireland in the new year, as they find the memories too painful to live with in Basildon.

Acting Sgt Phillip Matthews, from Laindon traffic police which is heading the hunt, said: "All our leads have dried up and come to a grinding halt.

"We're hoping that new posters will make a difference and rekindle interest in the case a year on."

Police launched a major investigation back in January after Mrs Thorne's death.

An incident room was set up at Pitsea police station to deal with the dozens of calls which subsequently flooded in.

Reconstructions were carried out in Whitmore Way and in February the case was featured on BBC1's Crimewatch programme.

Twenty people called to put a name to a computer photofit shown on the programme but again the lines of inquiry ran cold. Little progress has been made on the case since then.

The new posters detail what happened to Mrs Thorne and ask for the public's help. They will be put up in shops, pubs and police stations throughout the area.

Sgt Matthews said: "We would appeal for anyone with information to come forward and contact us.

"The case is not closed by any means but we haven't got much to go on."

Anyone who can help should contact Laindon traffic on 01268 541312 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 .

Tragic - Hit-and-run victim Tina Thorne

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