‘WHO killed our Anne?’ That is the question that has haunted the family of hit-and-run victim Anne Flower for nearly 40 years.

Now, in a renewed bid to find the culprit, and to ease the family’s anguish, the relatives of 14-year-old Anne have issued a fresh appeal for information about the killer driver.

Anne was fatally injured when she was hit from behind by a red Ford Cortina while walking with friends along the B3400 at New-found on September 25, 1975.

Now her sister Tanya Holly and her brother Phil Flower are appealing to anyone who knows who is responsible for the crash to come forward.

Mr Flower said: “This devastated the family at the time, and we still feel like this nearly 40 years later. I do believe there’s someone who knows who the driver was that night.

“That driver will have had to live with this on their conscience for the last 40 years, and it’s time this was resolved.”

As reported in The Gazette at the time, Anne was walking to a disco with friends, having just visited The Fox pub, when she was hit from behind by a Ford Cortina Mk3.

The driver did not stop and left her lying in the road. Her friends rushed to the pub to ask the landlord to call an ambulance, but sadly Anne died from her injuries.

At the time, detectives visited garages throughout Hampshire and other counties to see if anyone had brought in a red Ford Cortina for repair to the nearside front.

Detective Sergeant Alan Stovell, of Whitchurch police station, led the search for the killer driver.

At the time, he told The Gazette: “Finding this man could be a mammoth task, but the simple answer is that we are not giving up until we have found him.

“We believe he could be local, probably living in the north of Hampshire. It is unlikely that anyone not local would use this road.”

Ms Holly, of Gilbert Close, Popley, Basingstoke, was 10 when her sister died. She said: “Everybody has wanted justice for Anne.

“If this person, or someone who knows what happened, comes forward now, we do not think the driver would serve time. But at least we would know what happened.”

Anne, a Cranbourne School pupil, lived with her parents, five brothers and two sisters at their home in Water Ridges, Oakley.

Mr Flower said: “She was a very lovely girl – very pretty with long dark hair and a bubbly character.”

Inspector Andy Storey, from the roads policing unit at Whitchurch, told The Gazette: “If any new leads come to light as a result of this appeal, they will be actively pursued.

“Anyone with information can contact the serious collision investigation unit on 101.”