Met re-examines old CCTV in Jill Dando murder but says it is not a new inquiry
Police are re-examining old CCTV from Putney Bridge in the unsolved 1999 murder of Jill Dando, looking at whether a man seen near the scene was a Serbian assassin.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Detectives are re-examining old CCTV footage in the unsolved 1999 murder of BBC broadcaster Jill Dando after advances in video enhancement technology. The Met Police said the review is part of ongoing inquiries and should not be treated as a new investigation or a significant new line of inquiry.
Jill Dando, 37, was shot dead on her doorstep in south west London in April 1999. The case remains one of Britain's most high-profile unsolved murders. A man was wrongfully jailed over the killing and served eight years before being acquitted following a retrial.
The footage being reviewed was recorded at Putney Bridge train station. It is understood to show a man sprinting near the scene about 20 minutes after the shooting. The unidentified figure has been referred to as Man X. Reports suggest investigators are looking at whether he could have been a Serbian assassin who may have served under former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic.
Hours after Dando's death, someone called the BBC and said the killing was in retaliation for British planes bombing Serbia during the NATO campaign. The Met has stressed that the CCTV review is not being treated as a significant breakthrough.
A statement from the force said recent advancements in CCTV enhancement technology had given investigators the chance to return to the original Putney Bridge footage. The review is part of continuing inquiries, not a new investigation, according to the Met. The case remains unsolved. The latest review was reported after a Daily Mirror investigation into the case.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | GB News | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| Detectives are examining new CCTV footage in the Jill Dando murder investigation. | ||
| A theory suggested the unidentified man in the footage, known as Man X, may have been a Serbian assassin with possible links to Slobodan Milosevic. | · | |
| The Metropolitan Police said the CCTV reviews are part of ongoing inquiries and are not a significant line of inquiry or a new investigation. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News gave the Jill Dando story only a brief mention during a newspaper review segment, using the Daily Mirror front page as its peg. It framed the CCTV development as a possible breakthrough, saying detectives were examining new footage, but did not give details of the Met's caveats. The rest of the segment moved on to other political and football stories.
- “on the front of the Daily Mirror tomorrow, Jill Dando murder cop's new CCTV probe.”
- “Detectives are examining new footage.”
- “Apparently, they've finally solved that great unanswered crime.”
ITV1 treated the story as a serious news item, with a dedicated package from Scotland Yard. It recapped the murder, the wrongful conviction, and the Met's decision to re-examine old CCTV from Putney Bridge. It also highlighted the Met's caution that the review is not a new investigation or a significant line of inquiry.
- “Police are looking again at old CCTV footage in the 1999 murder of BBC broadcaster Jill Dando.”
- “In a statement the Met Police said recent advancements in CCTV enhancement technology have provided investigators with the opportunity to re-examine original footage from Putney Bridge train station.”
- “Important to note that the Met Police have said these reviews form part of ongoing inquiries and shouldn't be interpreted as a significant line of inquiry nor as a new investigation being opened into this matter.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 18:24 BST
“In a statement the Met Police said recent advancements”
ITV Evening News · Sat 26 Sept
- 23:02 BST
Cristo Foufas, Journalist and broadcaster
“Journalist and broadcaster Cristo Foufas joins us this evening.”
New: Patrick Christys Tonight Late... · Fri 25 Sept - 23:02 BST
Tom Jones, deputy online editor at The Critic
“We've got the deputy online editor at The Critic. It's Tom Jones”
New: Patrick Christys Tonight Late... · Fri 25 Sept - 23:02 BST
Andy Twelves, political commentator
“and political commentator Andy Twelves who survived the audience.”
New: Patrick Christys Tonight Late... · Fri 25 Sept
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.