DETECTIVES hunting the killer of Karl Morris are following up new leads after reports the man they want to question has been spotted in Suffolk.Police leading the four-year-old investigation have received information from a member of the public who claims to have recently seen missing key witness Stephen Mackay, 32, just miles from where the killing happened.

DETECTIVES hunting the killer of Karl Morris are following up new leads after reports the man they want to question has been spotted in Suffolk.

Police leading the four-year-old investigation have received information from a member of the public who claims to have recently seen missing key witness Stephen Mackay, 32, just miles from where the killing happened.

Officers were given the information after an appeal for the whereabouts of Mr Mackay was screened on the BBC's Crimewatch UK programme on Wednesday night.

Following the TV appeal, Suffolk police received two telephone calls offering new leads, including one from a person who said they had seen him in the county.

Although disappointed with the amount of calls they received, Suffolk police have described the new leads as “positive”.

Det Sgt Stuart McCallum, who is leading the murder investigation, said: “Although I am disappointed not to have received more calls since the latest appeal, we have got new leads which we will be actively following up.

“One of the new leads includes a possible sighting of Mr Mackay in Suffolk and we will now investigate this sighting.

“We shouldn't get too excited at this stage because it is only a possible sighting and we must remain cautious but positive.

“It is a good thing that we are still receiving information after all this time because it will only take one phone call to make the vital breakthrough.”

Mr Morris, 23, received serious head injuries as he tried to break-up a fight outside the Queen's Arms pub in his home village of Great Cornard, on Good Friday 1999.

He died the following day at West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds.

It is known that Mr Mackay was present when the fracas erupted and it is also known that he was involved to some extent in the fighting.

Detectives believe he holds vital information into Mr Morris' death and want to interview him, but he disappeared shortly after the fight.

Despite wide-scale police and Interpol investigations and regular media appeals, detectives have still not been able to find Mr Mackay.

The former Royal Green Jacket Infantryman grew up in Sudbury, but his last known address was at Eldred Drive in Great Cornard.

After leaving the army, where he served in Northern Ireland, Mr Mackay worked as a HGV lorry driver.

He is described as 6ft 3in tall, well built, with short brown hair.

A reward for around £3,000 is available for information leading to his whereabouts. Anyone with any information is urged to call Suffolk Police on 01473 613500 or on Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.