An actor retraces the final steps of murdered North Yorkshire man David Williamson, as the BBC's Crimewatch programme steps in to help in the hunt for his killer.

The programme, which was filmed last night and will be aired next Wednesday, was being made more than 12 weeks after Mr Williamson's body was discovered not far from his home in Sutton-on-the-Forest.

The Crimewatch camera crew filmed the actor at the Star Inn, Huby, where the 57-year-old bachelor was last seen, and Bentley's Barn, just outside Sutton-on-the-Forest, where his body was found at 5.30am on Monday, March 26.

He had been struck from behind with a blunt object and suffered a fractured skull.

He was last seen leaving the Star Inn at about 11.30pm the previous evening.

It is hoped the reconstruction will jog some memories and bring in some information to help the inquiry.

Police have so far described the lack of information they have received from the public as "shocking".

Even a heartfelt plea for information by his family went apparently unanswered.

But the murder team has taken 319 statements so far, from local people and from people who rang in with "snippets of information".

Updated: 08:31 Thursday, June 14, 2001