A man from west London has been arrested and released by Surrey Police this week as part of their investigation into the murder of Walton schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The 40-year-old man was questioned about the potential disposal of a red Daewoo Nexia car, which police have continuously appealed for information about as part of the investigation.

He was released without charge and bailed to return to police in December.

Although not a suspect in the murder, detectives questioned the man for seven hours on August 4 this year, on suspicion of assisting prime suspect Levi Bellfield get rid of the Daewoo police believe Milly was abducted in.

He was also released later that day without charge.

Milly, 13, vanished while walking home from school on March 21, 2002.

Her body was found six months later by mushroom pickers in Yateley Heath, Hampshire.

Bellfield, a former bouncer and wheel clamper who is currently behind bars for the murders of 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell in 2003 and 22-year-old Amelie Delagrange in 2004, became the prime suspect in the Milly Dowler investigation after CCTV footage, taken moments after her disappearance, showed a red Daewoo matching the car Bellfield’s girlfriend owned, driving past the spot where Milly was last seen.

The schoolgirl was last spotted in a suburban street in Walton, just 70 yards from Bellfield’s home, but he has always denied any involvement in the murder.

Surrey Police recently carried out extensive searches of lakes in Surrey, as the search for the car continues.