A PRIVATE detective is to investigate the disappearance of Highworth mother-of-four Linda Razzell.

Rachel Smith, the girlfriend of Glyn Razzell who was convicted of murdering his estranged wife, has enlisted the help of the unnamed detective who read a website set up to clear Razzell's name.

Last week Razzell, a former Zurich investments manager who is currently serving a life sentence at Gartree prison in Leicestershire, learned a single judge had turned down his initial appeal against his conviction.

He has already submitted another appeal, which will be heard by three Court of Appeal judges later this year.

Ms Smith, who lives with her parents at Gales Ground in

Marlborough, said: "Of course we are disappointed the appeal was turned down, but if you look at cases where people were later freed like Stephen Downing, Sally Clarke or Angela Cannings, they all had their first appeal turned down, so it wasn't entirely unexpected.

"We have already filed for a second appeal, which we hope will be in a about three months."

Shortly after Razzell's conviction at Bristol Crown Court in November Ms Smith, 24, who works for Nationwide in Pipers Way, Swindon, set up a website to rally support for her boyfriend.

She even offered a £5,000 reward for information that led to Linda's whereabouts.

Linda, who would have been 43 this month, disappeared on March 19, 2002 after parking her car in Alvescot Road. Her body has never been found.

Ms Smith said: "I have had a lot of positive reactions to the website and one of the people who saw it was a private investigator who offered his services free of charge to go over the case for us, which was nice of him.

"Glyn is obviously disappointed that the appeal was turned down, but it wasn't entirely unexpected so both of us are just moving forward and getting on with the next step. This is not over and neither of us are giving up."

At the time of her disappearance Linda and her estranged husband were in the middle of divorce proceedings. Relatives in South Wales are now caring for Linda's four children.

Linda's boyfriend, Greg Worrall, said: "There is no new evidence on the website it's a mirror image of what was heard in court and available to the defence during the case.

"I have written to Rachel Smith challenging her to listen to the tapes of the court case because she has only got Glyn's version. She has not replied to my email.

"I also challenge this private detective to do the same before he makes a complete fool of himself."