Man held over death of missing whizzkid

Detectives hunting the killer of a computer expert who vanished from his home without trace almost two years ago have arrested a man in Australia.

Jonathan Dolton, who was 20 at the time, disappeared from his home near Milton Keynes while he was helping to set up a computer business.

His Daihatsu Fourtrak was found abandoned nearby a week later. Police launched a major inquiry amid fears that the IT entrepreneur had been murdered. His body has never been found.

Today, Thames Valley police announced that officers in Australia had arrested a 41-year-old man in Melbourne, Victoria on suspicion of killing Mr Dolton.

A spokeswoman said arrangements were being made to bring him to Britain to be questioned but refused to comment further. A year after the murder, police said they were hunting a prime suspect in the case but refused to give details of his identity.

Mr Dolton disappeared after leaving a friend's house on 24 February 2002. At the time, detectives said he appeared to be in good spirits when he left, telling his friends he was going straight back to his home in Stony Strat ford, Milton Keynes.

Police now believe that he did return home but that he was murdered that night.

Detectives described the man they suspected of killing Mr Dolton as being a "father figure" to him, saying the pair had worked together and were close friends, despite the man being "considerably older".

Today Thames Valley refused to say if the 41-year-old had been arrested by chance or not. Detectives believe the killer was meticulous in covering his tracks.

A massive search for Mr Dolton failed to find any trace of his body and his 4x4 vehicle did not reveal anything suspicious despite a careful forensic search. At the time his parents Sheila and Alan made an emotional plea for help in the inquiry. Mrs Dolton broke down in tears as she said: "We're very worried for him. We don't know if he's alive or dead. This not knowing if he's alive or dead is just awful."

Detective Superintendent Steve Morrison, who led the inquiry, said of Mr Dolton: "He loved life and he loved computers. There is no doubt something very nasty has happened to him."

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