Nikki Allan murder: Mum Sharon Henderson meets private death investigator as hunt for killer of Sunderland schoolgirl goes on

The seven-year-old vanished while walking home to her flat in Wear Garth, Hendon, in 1992.

Her body was found the next day in the derelict Quayside Exchange building, just yards away. She had been repeatedly stabbed.

Neighbour George Heron was charged with her murder but later acquitted after a trial judge accused police of heavy-handed tactics and refused to allow the jury to hear a taped confession.

Now private death investigator Jenny Jarvie has met with Nikki’s mum Sharon Henderson and will examine the case.

Sharon, 51, has campaigned for justice since her daughter’s death.

She said: “She told me some things that upset me but I want to be told. She explained things about the case that I have been asking for for years.

“It was really hard but she spoke to me like a human being - she’s given me some answers.

“She gets straight to the point. She said to me I might have to break your heart and tell you things from what has already happened.”

At their first meeting on Monday night, Ms Jarvie discussed and explained aspects of the case which Sharon says gave her reassurance and some answers moving forward.

Ms Henderson added: “It’s wrong that I’ve had to hear some of the evidence from sombody else but I’m glad it happened. It stops me over thinking all the time - it’s torture.

“I can live with the pain, I have been for 26 years.”

Ms Jarvie, who has been a private death investigator since 2012, said: “I have offered my services to her free of charge to assist her to get closure and to find justice for Nikki.

“I think anybody, any parent, who has had to endure what Sharon has gone through. We would all want answers.”

“They’re living with that every day without any form of justice of closure. At some point a police investigation has to be widened and look at a different agency approach.”

Northumbria Police set up a new team to investigate the killing in April last year.

A man was arrested and quizzed in April earlier this year.