DETECTIVES are appealing for a woman, who phoned them twice about housewife Julia Webb's murder, to get back in touch.

The woman, who called last Thursday from a mobile phone was cut off twice while speaking to an officer.

Now police believe she may have vital information and have launched extensive inquiries to trace her.

Officers were told by the woman, who said she came from the Callards area of Warrington, that she saw a woman fitting Mrs Webb's description on the afternoon of the murder.

Mrs Webb, 52, was battered to death as she walked her dog in Kennel Lane, Sandiway, on Wednesday July 22.

A police spokesman said: "The woman told us she had been on holiday to Australia and only returned on Sunday August 16."

Police are appealing for the woman to contact her local police station or the murder incident room on 01244 613298.

Meanwhile police still want to interview a red faced man seen running across Dalefords Lane at around 3.50pm. He may have had an injury to his face and a rag wrapped round his hand.

And police are still trying to find the occupants of two cars, a silver Ford Orion and dark blue Vauxhall Cavalier, which were seen parked in Kennel Lane that afternoon.

Police are trying to identify photofits of two men they wish to question.

One man was spotted crossing Chester Road, heading towards Kennel Lane at around 3.20pm.

He is described as in his late 50s or early 60s and was carrying a distinctive walking stick made of dark reddish wood with an interlocking cluster design handle.

The second man was seen driving a silver Ford Orion along Kennel Lane away from Chester Road at around 3.15pm.

He is described as white, in his mid 30s around 5ft 6ins tall, stocky with short black hair and a full neatly trimmed black beard and moustache.

Police are keen for joggers, who regularly run in the area, to contact them.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.