A MAN has been arrested in connection with the killing of a young Consett woman just days before the fifth anniversary of her death.

Julie Smailes, a 27-year-old computer sales manager, was tied up, strangled and stabbed more than 50 times.

A spokesman for Durham Police named the man they were questioning as Darren Willis, 30, from Park Villas, Leadgate.

A team of four detectives made the arrest at about 8am on Wednesday. Mr Willis was being interviewed at Durham City police HQ.

In the early hours of October 30, 1996, Julie's body was discovered by firefighters in one of the two bedrooms of her smoke-logged house in Wingrove Terrace, Leadgate.

She had been strangled, stabbed and a number of fires had been lit inside the end-of-terrace house which investigators believe had been started in an attempt to cover up the crime.

In the spring of last year senior detectives said there was mounting evidence to suggest a number of people may have been directly involved in Julie's death.

Previously the police revealed that up to four people were suspected. One major suspect was John Thompson who hanged himself in August 1998.

Mr Thompson was the main suspect in the murder of 18-year-old Rachel Tough, of Consett, who was found dead in the kitchen of his house in the Moorside area of the town. He took his life in neighbouring woods a few days later.

Mr Thompson was one of more than 7,000 people interviewed in connection with Julie Smailes' death.

His widow, Michelle, has always denied her husband had any part in the killing.

Police have said they were 'agonisingly close' to making major progress with the case on several occasions. It was said in May last year that forensic and DNA tests had produced a breakthrough.

A reward of £10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Julie's killers was put up by her employers, Sun Micro Systems, of Greencroft, near Stanley, in 1996.

Since then police, who delivered letters appealing for information to more than 1,500 homes in the Leadgate area, have checked more than 3,000 vehicles and taken more than 1,100 statements. Detectives are still working on the case.

Since the tragedy Julie Smailes mother, Joy Gilmour, 53, has left Consett for Ireland, saying she could no longer cope with the stress of living so close to where her daughter died.

At the time The Advertiser went to press Mr Willis was still being questioned.

l Sister's nightmare: Page 6