'It's never too late to do the right thing’ - £20,000 reward to find killer of Diane Sindall
Crimestoppers is offering a £20,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the 1986 murder of Diane Sindall in Birkenhead.
A £20,000 reward is being offered to find the killer of Diane Sindall in Birkenhead.
21-year-old Diane was murdered in the Wirral town in the early hours of Saturday, August 2 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.
In June 2023, Merseyside Police reopened the investigation into Diane’s murder, following notification from the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), who were in the process of carrying out a review which identified that DNA recovered at the scene was not a match for Peter Sullivan - the man previously convicted of her murder.
Peter Sullivan was released from custody after 38 years in May 2025, following the Court of Appeal’s decision that his original conviction was unsafe following advancements in testing of DNA.
Nearly 40 years on, Diane’s killer is yet to be identified and Crimestoppers has today (January 22) revealed it 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.
Gary Murray, North West Regional Manager for 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.
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“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.”
Merseyside Police 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’.”
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Diane had been working her part-time job at the Wellington pub in Bebington and had left work at 11.45pm in her blue Fiat van. Merseyside Police said she ran out of petrol, and was seen walking around Borough Road between midnight and 12.20am on the Saturday morning. Her body was found 12 hours later.
The investigation team at the time subsequently 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.
Det Supt Wilson said: “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.”
Note: The reward is available for three months and is due to expire on April 22, 2026.. Information passed directly to the police will not qualify for a reward.