Sightings of man suspected of murdering university lecturer and his family are reported to police after CCTV images are released

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Updated: 13:43 EST, 7 May 2011

A number of potential witnesses have come forward with possible sightings of a man wanted in connection with the deaths of a family of four, police said.

University lecturer Jifeng Ding, his wife Helen and their two daughters were found stabbed to death at their home in Northampton last weekend.

Police have since named Anxiang Du, 52 as a suspect in their deaths.

Suspect: Anxiang Du boards a bus to Wootton, Northampton. Detectives would like to speak to him following the deaths of Jifeng Ding, who was murdered with his wife Helen Chui and their two daughters Xing and Alice

Journey: Du pays to get on a Number 15 bus at 1.07pm and queries which stop the vehicle was at shortly before he alighted in Wootton's High Street almost 20 minutes later

Detective Superintendent Glyn Timmins said: 'On Friday we conducted live enquiries following the exact route we believe Mr Du took on the Friday, after he left his place and arrived in Northampton.

'We spoke to a number of people, including putting up posters in key locations.

'Following this activity we obtained a number of statements indicating sightings of Mr Du on the route we believe he took on the Friday.

'It is apparent from these reports that a number of these witnesses have seen the extensive media coverage of this case, but for whatever reason have not come forward to report the information to the police earlier.'

Butchered: Sisters Alice, left, and Xing Ding were found stabbed to death upstairs in their home in Wootton, Northamptonshire

Tragedy: Jifeng Ding, a Manchester Metropolitan University lecturer, left, and his wife, Helen Chui, were both found dead

He said there was a strong possibility other witnesses with information may not have come forward yet, and added: 'I want to appeal again to members of the public and stress that any information we receive will be dealt with sensitively or confidentially through Crimestoppers.

'So far we have received over 200 reports relating to Mr Du and we will be following every one of these leads.'

He said so far there have been no confirmed reports of a silver five door Vauxhall Corsa registration BG60 PMO, missing from the family's home.

Police are searching for Anxiang Du, pictured here at Birmingham Station on Friday

Yesterday detectives retraced the route believed to have been taken by businessman Du.

CCTV images released earlier this week showed him arriving from Birmingham New Street at platform four of Northampton railway station.

Officers then travelled to Greyfriars bus station where Du is believed to have waited in bay 19, eventually getting on the number 15 bus.

Yesterday's reconstruction, a week after the family's murder, ended when officers travelled into Wootton Village, to the bus stop where Du is believed to have got off.

Mr Timmins has previously said Du is known to have been in possession of a significant amount of cash at the time of the murders.

Du, who lived in Coventry and worked at a herbal medicine shop in Birmingham, is known to have travelled to Northampton by train just a day after losing a bitter court battle over his shared business interests with the Ding family.

He was reported missing by his family on Friday after they discovered a note 'saying goodbye' at the shop where he worked.

Chinese-born Du is described as being of slim build and routinely wears a baseball cap.

Members of the public are being advised not to approach him and anyone who spots him or the Corsa is urged to call 999.

Murder scene: The comfortable home in Wootton, near Northampton, where the bodies of the Ding family were found