Police to appeal to Sunderland AFC fans in hunt for Nikki Allan's killer

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

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

Northumbria Police confirmed in April that it was dedicating a new forensics team to the investigation and would be revisiting the DNA evidence.

The force revealed last week that officers had recovered further forensic results, including some DNA from a male, and were appealing for any man who may have innocently come into contact with Nikki to come forward so they can be eliminated from enquiries.

Detectives will be leafleting fans ahead of the Black Cats' clash with Queen's Park Rangers on Saturday and the appeal will feature on the Stadium of Light's screens.

DI Paul Waugh said: "We have had a number of people who have helpfully come forward to give DNA samples and give information.

"It is a little too early to say what this may bring or how it could impact the investigation but what I would say is that it is so important that these people have taken that step to come forward. "That's all we ask people to do. Come forward and give a DNA sample if you had any contact with Nikki prior to her death or provide us with any information you can which could help support this investigation. "We are going to be at the Stadium of Light this weekend again appealing for information and urging people to come forward to police or Crimestoppers anonymously. "Please, for Nikki and her family, any information you may have, no matter how insignificant you may think it is, come forward and help us get that one step closer to finding the person responsible for Nikki's death."Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 or independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.