Steve Wright denies kidnapping and murdering 17-year-old Victoria Hall

Steve Wright, 66, pleaded not guilty to the kidnap and murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall, who vanished on a night out in Felixstowe, Suffolk on September 19, 1999

A former forklift driver has denied murdering a teenager whose naked body was found in a ditch 25 years ago.

Steve Wright, 66, pleaded not guilty to the kidnap and murder of Victoria Hall, 17, during a hearing. A-level student Victoria vanished on a night out in Felixstowe, Suffolk, on September 19, 1999.

Her naked body was found five days later by a dog walker, dumped in a water-filled ditch around 25 miles away.

Wright, formerly of Ipswich, appeared in court via video link from HMP Long Lartin, Worcs.

Judge Marty Levett said his trial would start at the Old Bailey in London on February 2, 2026. He added: “[The trial date] may seem some distance away but it will require an extraordinary amount of work.”

The inquiry into Victoria’s death was reopened on the 20th anniversary in 2019. Suffolk Police said they had received new information from witnesses. Wright was arrested in July 2021.