Suspect in news

The eccentric retired schoolmaster at the centre of a brutal murder inquiry which has stunned and riveted the UK was once 'front page news' in a newspaper published by GulfWeekly editor, Stan Szecowka.

Chris Jefferies is currently on bail after being released by police 'pending further inquiries', as officers insist the investigation into 25-year-old landscape architect Joanna Yeates' killing is 'ongoing'.

The Clifton Chronicle highlighted a campaign by the 'Canynge Road Crusaders' - a group co-ordinated by Mr Jefferies fighting against a planning project proposed by Clifton College, a leading British independent school where he once taught.

Mr Jefferies, 65, was the first in a line-up photograph of residents. Stan interviewed him and said: "He was a pillar of the community and played a high-profile role in a very upper-crust English setting."

Magistrates had granted police more time last Friday to question Mr Jefferies, a former English teacher, who lived in the same building as the murder victim.

Joanna, 25, went missing from her flat in Canynge Road on December 17 after buying a pizza and two bottles of cider on her way home from a city pub.

Her boyfriend reported her disappearance to police on December 19, after returning following a weekend away.

Her body was found on Christmas day by a couple who were walking their dogs along a country lane, three miles from her home. She had been strangled.

Mr Jefferies emerged as a suspect in Joanna's murder after attracting the attention of police in the days following the discovery of her body.

He had told police and neighbours that he had seen his tenant leave her flat with two others on the night she disappeared. However, police could find no corroboration of the sightings and began to doubt his story.

Mr Jefferies, who was described by one neighbour as 'a little bit eccentric', later claimed what he had told police had been 'distorted', but refused to elaborate.

Eventually he went on to claim that what he had said to police was vaguer than how it had been reported.

"I definitely cannot say that I saw Joanna Yeates that evening. No," he said.

Detectives had been keeping a close eye on Mr Jefferies even before his claims surfaced in public, sources with knowledge of the investigation said. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones, who is leading the investigation, said: "We have a team of more than 70 police officers and staff working tirelessly to bring the person responsible for Joanna's death to justice."

He repeated his call to the public to come forward with any information that might help the investigation.

Earlier, the victim's family paid tribute to her, saying she had been stolen from them but they were certain her killer would be caught.

Police family liaison officer Emma Davies read out separate statements on behalf of the woman's family and boyfriend, Greg Reardon, 27.

"Her life was stolen from her and she was stolen from us," the statement by Joanna's parents David and Theresa and brother Chris said. "We are certain that Jo's killer will be caught."