Elsie Frost murder photo file: ‘Justice doesn’t stop after 50 years’

Speaking at the tunnel mouth near to where young Elsie Frost’s body was found by a dog walker, Det Chief Inspector Elizabeth Belton made an appeal for anyone who had any information into her death to come forward.

The officer also said there was a chance Elsie have had a boyfriend - as she dressed up to go sailing on the fateful day.

Ms Belton described Elsie as a local girl who had been out sailing on October 9 at Horbury Lagoon before making her way home at about around 4pm.

As she was walking home towards the tunnel, under a railway bridge in Wakefield, she was “viciously attacked” from behind.

Police reopen 1965 murder of Wakefield schoolgirl Elsie Frost

Speaking on Friday, Ms Belton said: “She was stabbed twice in the back, twice in the head and once in her hand.

“She has then tried to make her escape towards the ABC steps through the tunnel, sadly she has collapsed and died there.

“This has been a vicious and brutal attack on a young innocent girl.

“50 years is a long time for somebody to be outstanding for a murder. Justice doesn’t stop after 50 years,” DCI Belton said.

Ms Belton, who is leading the investigation into the murder, said new information has come forward that a man with short dark hair, in his mid-20s, riding a bike and wearing what has been described as a “white lab coat” was in the area at the time - he may have been a delivery boy.

“The bicycle had a basket at the front and I’m thinking he could have been a delivery boy. Did he deliver for a butchers, did he work in an abattoir and was making his way to or from work?

“I’d like to identify that person or anyone who can recall seeing that person.”

She added there has been some information that Elsie may have a boyfriend and may have been meeting somebody.

Her father’s statements described Elsie going to a youth club the night before and asking to stay out. She then got dressed up, which was odd.

She added that in one of her friend’s statements they said they had overheard that Elsie was going to meet a boy.

“Again she goes to the boating lake in good clothes and new shoes which she had only bought that morning, she gets changed at the boating lake to go boating and then puts on the good clothes to make her way, in effect, back home.

“So with that it gives the impression is she trying to impress somebody, is she meeting somebody special?”

Elsie’s brother Colin, who was six at the time of her murder, is now a 56-year-old civil servant still living in Wakefield.

Today was only the second time he had been to the steps, now overgrown, where his sister’s body was found - he described the bottom area of the steps where she would have lain as “sacred ground”.

“I came down five weeks ago today and that was possibly one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, and I have set myself some difficult challenges, that day was really, really emotional.

“I thought that 50 years would have disolved that type of emotion but when I was stood here with my partner and DCI Belton, thank goodness I’d got one on each side.”

He can remember the police calling to his door on that fateful day, his mum breaking down and his dad going with the police, most likely to identify the body.

He added that the family might have to accept whoever killed Elsie may not be alive now, but they might be.

“The ultimate, of course, is getting justice for Elsie in whatever shape or form it may be.”

Colin added: “The answer lies in Wakefield, someone is either living with or lived with that guilt inside all their life. We are appealing for anyone to come forward with anything they know, no matter how small.”