Man arrested over murder of woman more than 30 years ago

A 67-year-old man has been charged over the murder of a woman in North Ayrshire more than 30 years ago.

Shona Stevens, 31, was attacked near her home in Irvine in November 1994. She suffered severe head injuries and died in hospital three days later.

Her family persisted in seeking justice and spoke out last year as Crimestoppers offered a £20,000 reward for any information on the case.

Police Scotland have confirmed that a man arrested on Friday has now been charged in connection with the case. He is due to appear at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Monday.

Det Ch Insp Stuart Gillies, the senior investigating officer, said: "I would like to thank the members of the local community who assisted us in our inquiries.

"I am grateful for their information and input which greatly contributed to our investigation."

Ms Stevens had been a student at Paisley University.

She was described as a "creature of habit" and regularly walked to the shop through the park at lunchtime, as she had on the day of the murder.

On 10 November 1994, she was attacked after leaving the Co-op store in Bourtreehill Shopping Centre.

She was found in a wooded area near her home about 10 minutes later.

Her daughter, Candice, was aged seven at the time.

Despite extensive media coverage, including a reconstruction of Ms Stevens final movements, no one has yet been found responsible.

Candice and Ms Stevens mother, Mhairi Smith, issued an appeal for information on the case last year, saying: "There is not a day that goes by that she is not in our thoughts and in our hearts."

At the time, Det Insp Stuart Gillies from Police Scotlands Major Investigation Team said he believed the person responsible for the murder may have local connections.

The police investigation, codenamed Operation Short, included an online portal where people could submit information to police directly.