A £20,000 Crimestoppers reward is today, Thursday 22 January, being offered to find the killer of Diane Sindall in Wirral.

Diane, 21, was murdered in Birkenhead in the early hours of Saturday 2 August 1986. Her body was discovered by a member of the public in an alleyway off Borough Road several hours later. She had been sexually assaulted and suffered extensive injuries. The cause of death was confirmed to be a cerebral haemorrhage.

Following advances in forensic science, the investigation into Diane’s murder was reopened in 2023 after new DNA evidence was confirmed not to be a match for the man previously convicted of her murder.

Detectives are continuing to work to identify who the DNA belongs to and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

To support the investigation, Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information given exclusively to the charity that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Diane’s murder.

Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson said: “It is devastating for Diane’s family that they are still waiting for the answers as to who was responsible for her murder, and we remain committed to identifying the person whose DNA was left at the scene.

“In 1986 DNA was very much in the early stages and as such was not available to the detectives who originally investigated Diane’s death but her murder was fully investigated by the team.

“Unfortunately, there is no match for the DNA identified on the national DNA database and we know it does not belong to any member of her family or her fiancé at the time.

“We are working with the National Crime Agency, and with their support we are trying to identify the person the DNA profile belongs to, and extensive enquiries remain ongoing.

“The investigation team has obtained samples locally, but screening has also taken place in Swansea, Perth, London, Hull and Newcastle with the voluntary DNA elimination samples.

“To date 461 males have been eliminated from the investigation.

“We are currently awaiting the forensic results in relation to a further 43 samples submitted earlier this month.”

Det Supt Wilson added: “Although it has been nearly 40 years since Diane’s murder, we still believe there are people who know what happened, or have their own suspicions, who haven’t yet come forward. My message would be ‘it is never too late to do the right thing’.

“We know on Friday 1 August 1986, Diane had been working her part-time job at the Wellington pub in Bebington.

“She had left work at 11.45pm in her blue Fiat van, but on her way home the van ran out of petrol on Borough Road. Diane got out of the van and was seen by several witnesses at the time walking along Borough Road between midnight and 12.20am on the Saturday morning. Her body was found 12 hours later in an alleyway off Borough Road.

“On 17 August 1986 property belonging to Diane was recovered on Bidston Hill. The investigation team at the time identified witnesses who had seen a small fire, at the location where the property was found, on Sunday 3 August, and had witnessed a man running from the scene.

“Were you on Borough Road on the evening of Friday 1 August or the early hours of Saturday 2 August and saw or heard something suspicious? Or can you help identify the man seen running away from Bidston Hill on Sunday 3 August?

“Additionally in the years since Diane’s murder has anybody you know raised any suspicions or passed any information which you think could help? Please come forward and tell us what you know.

“We can trace and request a DNA sample from any person you suspect or even a relative if they have passed away or emigrated.”

Gary Murray, North West Regional Manager for the charity Crimestoppers, said: “Please help bring answers to Diane’s family who have waited almost 40 years for justice. Someone, somewhere, knows what happened that night, and we’re urging them to come forward. What you know could finally give Diane’s loved ones the answers they’ve been waiting for.

“Crimestoppers is independent of the police. When you contact the charity, you stay completely anonymous. Your personal details are never asked for, and your call or online report cannot be traced back to you.

“Every day, thousands of people across the UK trust Crimestoppers with vital information that makes all the difference. We pass on what we’re told, and we hope that if you know something about this case, but are unwilling to speak to the police, you can stay completely anonymous with Crimestoppers.”

Please note: The reward is available for three months and is due to expire on 22nd April 2026. Crimestoppers is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No-one will ever know you contacted them. With Fearless.org and Crimestoppers-uk.org, computer IP addresses are never traced. For telephone calls to the independent charity’s UK Contact Centre, there is no caller line display and no 1471 facility. You will stay 100% anonymous. Always.

***Note: Information passed directly to the police will not qualify for a reward***