Man charged with 1994 murder of British schoolboy Rikki Neave

A man has been charged with murdering six-year-old schoolboy Rikki Neave in Peterborough 25 years ago.
James Watson, 38, of no fixed abode, has been charged with the murder of Rikkiand is due to appear at Peterborough Magistrates Court on Thursday (20 February).James Watson, 38, of no fixed abode, has been charged with the murder of Rikkiand is due to appear at Peterborough Magistrates Court on Thursday (20 February).
James Watson, 38, of no fixed abode, has been charged with the murder of Rikkiand is due to appear at Peterborough Magistrates Court on Thursday (20 February).

James Watson, 38, of no fixed abode, has been charged with the murder of Rikki and is due to appear at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (20 February).

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Fullwood, who has led the high profile investigation, said: “The cold case review into Rikki’s murder was undertaken by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit in 2014.

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“We began re-investigating the case in 2015 and following extensive investigative work, we have now been authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge James Watson in connection with his death.”

Rikki was last seen leaving for school at around 9am on Monday, November 28, 1994, from his home in Redmile Walk, Welland. He is believed to have been wearing grey trousers, a white shirt, black shoes and a blue coat. Rikki’s body was found in a wooded area off Eye Road, close to Willoughby Court, the following day – five minutes’ Walk from his home in the Welland Estate.

A post mortem examination concluded that Rikki had died as a result of compression of the neck – strangulation.