DETECTIVES hunting the murder weapon used in the brutal slaying of Julie Smailes began digging up a garden this week.

Miss Smailes was found dead in her home in Wingrove Terrace, Leadgate, near Consett, in October 1996.

The 27-year-old sales manager, who lived alone, had been stabbed more than 50 times and strangled. The murder weapon has never been recovered.

Acting on a tip-off, a specialist police search team, armed with military-issue metal detectors, on Wednesday began an inch-by-inch sweep of the back garden of a home in Briardale, Delves Lane, near Consett.

The semi-detached council house was the former home of Emma Kennedy, a close friend of John Thompson, the man police believe killed Miss Smailes.

Det Chief Supt Harry Stephenson, who is leading the inquiry, said: "We are looking for objects from Wingrove Terrace, where Julie Smailes was murdered."

He stressed that the occupant of the house, a woman who has not been named, has nothing to do with the investigation. The householder is not implicated in any way with Julie's death," he said. "The lady has offered nothing but help to our officers."

The arrival of the police search team at 8am on Wednesday shocked neighbours.

Dean Laing, 16, said: "I was pretty surprised when I woke up this morning and saw all the police digging the garden up."

Another, who asked not to be named, said: "The only thing that surprised me was how long it has taken them to get around to looking in that garden."

John Thompson, 27, hanged himself in August 1998, days after 18-year-old babysitter Rachel Tough was found bludgeoned to death at his home in Warwick Avenue, Moorside, Consett.

In October last year, on the seventh anniversary of Miss Smailes' death, detectives revealed a new series of forensic tests were being carried out on fingerprints and blood samples.

In April, detectives revealed they had DNA evidence proving Thompson was in Miss Smailes' house on the night she was killed.

Det Chief Supt Stephenson claimed that, if Thompson were still alive, the evidence would be strong enough to prosecute him for her murder. The tests also proved another three or four men were there.

He said: "While I feel certain Thompson was there when Julie died, I have long been convinced he was not alone.

"There may have been as many as four people in the house. We won't rest until all avenues of inquiry are exhausted or those responsible have been arrested and dealt with by the courts."

Detectives have always maintained that people in Consett knew who her killers were. An appeal by Joy Gilmour, Miss Smailes' mother, earlier this year prompted more people to come forward.

Officers from the Major Crime Team were spending two days this week interviewing new witnesses they believe have key information.

Further forensic tests on evidence found at the scene - made possible by recent advances in DNA technology - are also being carried out.

"From the amount of information I am still getting, this terrible and tragic death is still in the minds of people in Consett," said Det Supt Stephenson.

"I think the wall of silence is starting to crumble."

The house at the focus of the search has a history of death and mystery attached to it.

Miss Kennedy, 22, who lived there at the time Miss Smailes was murdered, was herself found dead at the bottom of Hownsgill Viaduct near Consett, known locally as Gill Bridge, on New Year's Eve, 1999. The spot is just yards from where Thompson's body was found.

The house was also the scene of a brutal killing in August 1998, when Miss Kennedy's boyfriend, Malcolm 'Mally' Hester, 28, was beaten to death in a street attack.