A MAN sought for questioning over the murder of Bury grandmother Shirley Leach has been eliminated from police inquiries.

The bearded man, described as a drifter, has been traced by police. Forensic evidence has concluded that the man, who was the subject of wanted posters in May, was not involved in the horrific crime.

Detectives are now back to square one in their seven-year search for the 66-year-old's killer. Mrs Leach, who lived in Holme Avenue, Brandlesholme, was found strangled and sexually assaulted in the toilets at Bury Interchange.

Extensive police investigations, including the interviewing and blood testing of nearly 1,000 men, has failed to find her killer.

In a breakthrough in May this year, detectives circulated hostels for the homeless, newspapers and TV stations with the new security camera footage of the bearded man. The man's image was captured on CCTV in a Bury town centre shop on the night of the murder, January 6, 1994.

Detective Sergeant Derek Bamford said DNA mouth swabs were taken and sent off for analysis before the man was eliminated from inquiries.