Elaine Doyle murder appeal sees man detained

Strathclyde Police took a 48-year-old man from Greenock into custody in the early hours of yesterday morning as part of their inquiry into the death of schoolgirl Elaine Doyle.

The 16-year-old was found dead in a lane less than 50 yards from her home in the Inverclyde town’s Ardgowan Street on 2 June, 1986.

The jewellery shop worker was last seen alive the night before by two friends, in Hamilton Way, after leaving a disco at the Celtic Supporters’ Club in Laird Street.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “Police can confirm that following an operation, officers arrested a 48-year-old man in connection with the death of Elaine Doyle. The man is detained in police custody.” He is expected to set at Greenock Sheriff Court on Monday.

Operation Evergreen, a coldcase review into her death, has escalated in recent years.

It was spurred by the creation of a new unit set up by Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland QC to assist procurators fiscal and the police in reviewing unsolved crimes, to identify those which merit fresh inquiries. In 2011, 25 years after Elaine’s death, police drafted in Interpol to assist with the investigation, while a reconstruction was staged on the BBC’s Crimewatch.

The same year, the victim’s father, Jack, who died last January, made an emotional appeal.

He said: “We know nothing can bring Elaine back to us but if we could just have some of our questions answered, then I know this would make our daily lives just that bit more bearable. When Maureen (the victim’s mother) and I last spoke to Elaine 25 years ago, she was in such a rush to go and meet up with friends.

“She was going with them to her first grown-up disco. Little did we know that we would never again see her alive.”

Last January, the Doyle family suffered another tragedy when Elaine’s nephew, Jack Doyle, 17, was killed in the town. A 19-year-old was jailed for life.