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More than a hundred potential murder suspects who could have gunned down Crimewatch star Jill Dando were never traced.

And intelligence reports pointing to key underworld figures, including M25 road rage killer Kenneth Noye, were marked “no further action”.

Jill may have been targeted for her role on BBC’s real-life crime show.

Watched by nine million viewers each monthly episode, it featured appeals helping to put away crooks, including Noye.

Another document from the Dando Files reveals police were unable to identify 11 men seen in Gowan Avenue, Fulham, South West London, where Jill was shot dead with a single bullet on her doorstep in 1999.

But none of the loose ends seemed to matter as Operation Oxborough centred on loner Barry George.

A list drawn up by detectives shows a third of 300 possibles suggested to investigators were never traced.

Critics have said the revelations raised grave questions for London’s Metropolitan force, who arrested George.

(Image: PA)

He spent eight years in prison before he walked free after a retrial showed key prosecution evidence was inconclusive.

News of the untraced suspects will further fuel suspicions the murder probe led by senior detective Hamish Campbell was flawed and must be re-examined.

The Mirror was given access to the files by George’s legal team and family.

Leading lawyer Michael Mansfield QC, who represented George, said: “I find it disturbing there were a hundred suspects who were never followed up.”

Mr Mansfield said police were too quick to focus on George, who has an IQ of 75 – well below average.

The respected lawyer added: “To put Barry George in the frame, they had to exclude everyone else.”

The 100 names appear on an official Metropolitan Police document, describing them as being in the “possible suspect category”.

In many cases, despite full names being listed, an accompanying note states: “Unable to trace on detail given.”

Others are put into categories including “not traced” or “not seen”. In 22 cases only first names were listed.

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Two untraced possible suspects are only listed by nicknames. The list includes a further 200 named individuals who were tracked and eliminated.

Another worrying report shows how 11 men in and around Gowan Avenue were “suspicious”, but never identified.

But a report, from the now-defunct National Criminal Intelligence Service, said Jill’s killing could be traced to a gunman called Joe in Spain.

He in turn was linked to Noye, serving life for a 1996 road rage killing.

Noye had also been convicted for the manslaughter of a policeman.

The report said: “Joe runs a bar in Tenerife, frequented by leading expat criminals. He’s described as a frustrated gangster reputed to owe money to Kenny Noye.

“There’s been talk Joe has been keen to rehabilitate his reputation with gangster creditors.”

Joe allegedly came to the UK specifically to carry out the crime.

When she was killed, Jill was on her way home from shopping in Hammersmith, West London, after spending the night at fiance Alan Farthing’s home in nearby Chiswick.

Joe is thought to have hired a driver, who is said to have visited Jill’s home several times before the murder.

A note attached to the report, prepared for the Serious Crime Group at Kensington police station, adds: “There is a belief that the getaway car may have been scrapped at a breakers yard near Gatwick.”

It appears that Joe was never traced.

Noye, 67, who has a parole hearing in May, is serving life for knifing 21-year-old motorist Stephen Cameron to death.

A week after the killing, Crimewatch was given vital information helping to nail Noye. He was in Spain where he was captured and extradited.

Another Dando Files source named two North London hitmen, acting for a notorious criminal clan, as having carried out the hit, before breaking up the weapon and dumping it in a canal.

A note on the file said DCI Campbell ordered no further action.

The men’s full names appear on the internal memo but not the list of untraced suspects.

The claims were made in February 2001, nine months after George was arrested and charged, by a “registered source” who was serving life for murder.

He said the pair, of Islington, had been acting on the instruction of the family concerned about a show they feared Dando was making on mob activity.

(Image: Getty)

But lawyer Mr Mansfield believes this tip may have been too readily dismissed.

He said: “I think this is of the greatest importance. We did know a whole range of people were suspected but I don’t recall that, it is very specific information.

“We would have wanted to follow that up and we would have wanted to present the jury with the possibility because it seems the intelligence is very specific and very clear.

“The question I would want to ask Hamish Campbell is why wasn’t this followed up on his instructions? Is it because he had formed a view that it had to be Barry George.”

But DCI Campbell said: “The courts never subjected the police to any criticism.

"We, the Met police, did everything we could to understand that murder and bring the person responsible to court, and we did it twice.”