A NEW suspect has been arrested in the Patsy Morris murder case - nearly 28 years after the Feltham schoolgirl was strangled on Hounslow Heath.

Last Thursday a 42-year-old man walked into a police station in Norfolk and told officers he had carried out the brutal killing back in 1980.

Det Ch Insp Howard Groves, of Barnes Murder Team, said: "This individual claimed to be responsible for the murder of someone in 1980 on Hounslow Heath and as a result of our inquiries we came across the murder of Patricia Joyce Morris.

"He was therefore arrested for that murder and brought to a police station in London."

The mysterious death of 14-year-old Patsy has been the subject of speculation since she first vanished from Feltham Comprehensive School - now Feltham Community College - during a lunch break in 1980.

Feltham officers spent two days searching alongside her family and volunteers from the community before a police dog handler uncovered her fully-clothed corpse, on June 18, on the Heath.

A post-mortem revealed Patsy, of Cygnet Avenue, had been strangled with a ligature but her body showed no signs of sexual assault or other injuries.

No one has ever been charged but since that summer Patsy's death has been linked to a string of murderers - most recently 'bus stop killer' Levi Bellfield, who was also a pupil at Feltham Comprehensive in the 1980s.

Police are now keen to play down any possible link after discovering Bellfield joined the school after Patsy's death and was actually enrolled at The Rectory, in Hampton, at that time.

DCI Colin Sutton, who is still looking into Bellfield's many attacks, said he felt it was 'unhelpful' to continue to link him to Patsy Morris's death considering the ongoing investigation.

The latest suspect, who is believed to have mental health problems, has now been interviewed by police and released on bail until June.

DCI Groves said: "Investigations will now be conducted into his movements at the time of Patsy's death to either confirm or dispel the possibility of his involvement."