Latest news from Mole Valley District Council The ARU team undertook baseline analysis and targeted stakeholder engagement in spring/summer 2024 as part of the initial stages of the studies They have used this information to develop a range of draft concept ideas specific to Bookham and Dorking A wider public consultation on these ideas will commence on Thursday 24 October – including two drop-in exhibitions on the very first day of the consultation in both locations – and extend over a six-week period and visitors will have the opportunity to review the draft ideas Face-to-face events will be held on Thursday Following feedback during the consultation Draft final masterplan documents will then be prepared for both Dorking and Bookham That will be considered by MVDC councillors in early 2025 a Masterplan for both these areas will define a vision that could be taken forward subject to funding being secured the masterplan study focuses on the High Street and village centre as well as key locations in the wider area The study scope includes considering ideas for: improving streets and public spaces and redeveloping or enhancing allocated sites the masterplan study focuses on the central area of the town improving accessibility for all and better connecting the railway stations Each area has been assigned its own Steering Group to ensure key local stakeholders are aware of the proposals and have an opportunity to contribute The Steering Group for Bookham comprises MVDC and SCC councillors and a representative of the Bookham Residents Association The Steering Group for Dorking comprises MVDC and SCC Councillors and a representative of the Dorking Town Partnership The consultant team that has been assembled for this commission also includes Steer providing transport and movement input Chilmark Consulting providing planning expertise and Hypha Studios advising on reuse of vacant spaces for community and cultural activities For more information on this Masterplan exercise, the consultation and how to submit your comments, please visit molevalley.gov.uk/BDM MVDC Cabinet Member for Planning said: “We’re pleased to present these concept ideas for Bookham and Dorking Town Centre and we’re keen to hear from residents and businesses during this important stage of the process While these ideas are still in the early stages and subject to further development your feedback will help shape a future vision for both areas It’s important to note that no funding has been secured yet to deliver these plans but this consultation is a vital step in understanding what could be possible and ensuring any future improvements reflect the needs and aspirations of our communities.” Buy tickets for Mole Valley Community Lottery View our latest job vacancies Prosperity Environment Community Wellbeing one of the leading housebuilders in the south of England has secured outline planning approval for a development on Land North West of Preston Farm in Bookham Surrey from Mole Valley District Council’s Planning Committee Land North West of Preston Farm has received a resolution to grant outline planning permission for up to 200 new net zero carbon one to four-bedroom homes 40% of which will be affordable in compliance with planning policy Each sustainable home is planned to have features including dedicated electric vehicle charging points and secure cycle storage Targeting an onsite biodiversity net gain of over 20% the development will feature landscaping and new planting to create approximately 45 acres of open space and a new country park that will be open to the wider community Additional landscaping will also take place around existing lakes to improve blue space A reserved matters application will be made in due course further detailing the development’s layout said: “After undertaking a comprehensive public consultation process for Land North West of Preston Farm we are pleased to receive backing from Mole Valley District Council The scheme includes 40% affordable housing – something urgently needed locally – and significant new public open spaces for everyone to enjoy.” Land North West of Preston Farm lies on the western settlement edge of Bookham which is made up of the two historic settlements of Great Bookham and Little Bookham The site is strategically located close to Leatherhead M25/A3 junction and Bookham railway station Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals A Building Magazine Leading in the field of building news reporting Building Design & Construction Magazine is one of the most respected and referenced sources of building news enquiries@bdcmagazine.co.uk+44 1484 437312 Subscribe our newsletter to get the best stories into your inbox © 2025 BDC Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals Mandy MacVean is the rector at the churches of St Lawrence She talks to Chris Dick about her vocation the reactions she receives as a woman priest and Christmas How did you receive your vocation and how did you get to be appointed to Effingham I was sent to Sunday school as a child and my mother has always been a church-goer I stopped attending church for about nine years although I continued to believe in God I started attending again after being made to feel welcome at a church I visited Over the years people suggested that I consider ordination and eventually I felt ready to see if my “calling” was genuine I was a curate in Banstead and then was offered the post in Effingham in March (2016) Were you familiar with Effingham before you were appointed as our vicar My first job was at Cranmore School in West Horsley and for six months I had lodgings in Effingham I never thought that one day I would return to be the rector Mandy in the pulpit where she delivers one of her two weekly sermons Apart from services on a Sunday and Thursday mornings No day is the same and can range from funeral and pastoral visits to taking weddings working in the local schools or organising our versions of national events such as marking the Queen’s 90th birthday to Remembrance Sunday with all the local Scouts and Guides involved Like all jobs there is a fair amount of paperwork involved – not least the twice weekly requirement of sermon production – but sitting at my kitchen table I could not want for a better working place I do have a study but it doesn’t have the same view of the garden My husband Paddy is a self-employed heating and plumbing engineer and finds Effingham a very good base to reach clients in Guildford and Banstead as well as those living locally My youngest daughter lives with us and works in London Our middle daughter lives and works in London and our son lives in Guildford and works in London We regularly have family get-togethers at weekends and often they bring their friends to stay for a “country weekend” Are women clerics just accepted without question these days I have found people to be very accepting and welcoming of women clergy – or at least those who disapprove have not mentioned it to me Women can bring particular gifts to ministry that complement those that our male counterparts offer I am the only female incumbent in our deanery of 13 parishes and I find my male colleagues extremely supportive and encouraging What are your favourite things about Effingham as a place and a community My husband and I are keen walkers and Effingham is surrounded by such beautiful countryside We love the fact that we can get easily get to Guildford which was our home for many years and yet we are also in reach of London I enjoy village life with its mixture of people who have lived here for generations and new families like us I would love to see more people understanding the benefits of following Jesus Christ and being part of a supportive church community Sometimes people’s negativity has been caused by the media or a bad experience and I would like people to give us a second chance to show them what Christianity can offer Do you like having a historic church building An historic church building is a pleasure and a responsibility Many people do not realise that its upkeep is entirely down to the generosity of those who worship there So it’s the people of St Lawrence who try to ensure that the church is there when anyone needs it I am very interested in local history and St Lawrence has a wonderful atmosphere due to generations of Effingham people attending services over the years My favourite part is the wall mural of angels They look particularly beautiful in candlelight Mandy’s favourite part of St Lawrence’s – the wall mural of angels This is a lovely time of the year for Christians What would you like to say to those who believe and to those who do not believe To those who believe: take time to reflect and pray about the differences the Christmas Story this year could make to you and those around you To those who do not believe: I would say that the Christmas Story is a great story with angels but the question isn’t whether it is a good story or an enjoyable story but whether it is true What would your response be if God really did come to be with us at Christmas What difference does being a Christian make I believe that we were created to be in relationship with our Creator God and our neighbours When we have that relationship we become ‘fully human’ as we are designed to be Through allowing God to influence our lives we can find peace hope and purpose even when life is difficult It is not a case of “pie in the sky when you die” but life in abundance now You sound so lovely and are coming to preach at Holmbury St Mary on Sunday I think I was away when you visited for the first time Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Homes and Property | Home Page Rosemary Cazaly had never been to the remote track in Little Bookham where her son Richard Cazaly is said to have brutally attacked young mother Abigail Witchalls as we pass the garden centre where Richard and enter the woods where Surrey Police say he stabbed Mrs Witchalls in April 2005 has returned to these woods to walk the site for herself because in her frustrating four-year battle to clear her son's name or at least get the highly controversial case re-opened there is an unexpected new development which has given her cause for hope Surrey Police announced that Chief Superintendent Adrian Harper the top officer who came to national attention for heading the manhunt into the attempted murder of Mrs Witchalls has been suspended and could face criminal charges A dossier referred to the Crown Prosecution Service accuses Harper of alleged "dishonest conduct" relating to speeding and repeatedly running red lights on private trips while claiming to be on police business which span almost three years from April 2006 to December 2008 came to light following an internal review by Surrey Police and were passed to the CPS following further investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission Although the cases are far removed from each other the question mark hanging over Harper's integrity nevertheless raises an intriguing and highly emotional question: if he's found to be dishonest Could it be that Cazaly - who police said would have been charged for the Witchalls attack had he not killed himself - was the victim of a miscarriage of justice The IPCC believes it is "a fair question to raise and for Harper's superiors and his force to answer" a Surrey Police spokesman does not rule this out "I won't speculate on whether the case will be re-opened until we have the CPS decision and the outcome of the investigation," he says Surrey Police was under intense pressure to come up with a conviction: they'd failed to solve the 2002 kidnap and murder of teenager Milly Dowler their overall detection rates of serious crime lagged far behind that of their counterparts in the Metropolitan Police and they'd been embarrassed by revelations - later refuted - that their report into the infamous Deepcut barracks deaths had been a sham And the CPS had stressed that although the evidence against Cazaly was sufficient to prosecute were he alive it was "in no sense a declaration that he was guilty of the offence" speaking to the Standard in her first ever face-to-face interview it could cast a pall over his integrity and raise questions as to whether he manipulated the truth in the Witchalls case as well There is no question in my mind that the case should be re-opened." But it is not just Harper's suspension that leads Rosemary the widow of a former IT executive for BOC and a retired nurse she opens a thick file of correspondence with Surrey Police that "sheds new light - that has never been published - on just how flimsy" the case againt her son was Ever since Harper and his colleagues stood before the media in November 2005 and proclaimed "We are here today to announce that this case is solved" she has fought to access expert reports which would have been available to her son "That Harper exaggerated the facts in his reports to the media," she says he told the press that sniffer dogs found Richard's scent 'close to' the attack site but the expert report shows my son's scent was only picked up '75 metres away' given that she was attacked in a blind alley and that my son regularly hunted pheasant in those woods He also released details of my son's car to the press before asking Abigail to identify it that they mysteriously refuse to hand over." It is worth recalling that there was never more than circumstantial evidence to say that Cazaly - a privately educated part-time chef with no criminal record and from a middle-class family - had been guilty of the frenzied attack on Mrs Witchalls There was no DNA evidence; Mrs Witchalls later failed to recognise him in a photographic identity parade; and he did not match the initial description of being clean-shaven that she gave of her assailant Richard had been hunting in the woods that day he drove a blue car similar to the type Mrs Witchalls said her assailant had been driving and he wore distinctive silver-hooped earrings similar to those described by the victim But the most damning evidence against him was his own cryptic suicide note addressed to his girlfriend I don't remember what happened but I'm scared I did it." will never accept her son is anything other than innocent though she does attest to how difficult it has been But to have him accused of attempted murder In her living room are pictures of her son as a freckle-faced young boy and lanky teenager "He was the under-15 Hampshire County discus champion," she says proudly recalling his days at fee-paying Salesian College in Farnborough I find myself bursting into tears without warning because of the unfairness of it all." who it was reported has recently recovered enough to speak a few words and has begun to talk about the attack for the first time "I feel as if I'm in the same boat as Sheila Hollins in that both of us have suffered a tragedy I've made no attempt to contact them because I think it would be awkward but I often wonder whether Abigail truly believes that the police nailed the right person especially since she knows that my son is not the man she picked out in the identikit parade as having been in that lane on the afternoon in question." The unprovoked attack occurred in the leafy village of Little Bookham at around 3.45pm on Wednesday 20 April was out walking her 21-month-old son home from his playgroup She made eye-contact with a man in a blue estate car who chased her and stabbed her through the back of the neck Within days Harper had arrested a local 25-year-old convicted burglar and drug-user who had no alibi and not only fitted the physical description given by Mrs Witchalls but had access to a blue Peugeot and matched the profile of an attacker who Witchalls described as possibly under the influence of drink or drugs but in the final run-off she picked the other man Ten days after the attack Richard Cazaly committed suicide after driving to Scotland and the focus of the investigation switched there was speculation that Cazaly had stabbed Mrs Witchalls because she resembled his Australian girlfriend who it was said had just dumped him after a three-year relationship But this theory was dropped when it emerged that the couple had only decided to break up some days after the attack At the closing press conference Harper acknowledged Cazaly's previous good character but said: "The most likely explanation is that Cazaly became psychotic and violent as a result of his abuse of a cocktail of drugs together with the alcohol he was known to have consumed that day" But this explanation made no sense to Rosemary "My son has always been a 'happy' drinker," she recalls he'd become very cuddly and affectionate." She asked Surrey Police to clarify whether they had any expert evidence - from DNA tests on her son's beard - to support their conclusion Surrey Police wrote (in a letter seen by the Standard) to say: "In fairness the analyst says she cannot confirm or refute any suggestion that any drugs were affecting Richard on the day of the Witchalls attack." Rosemary had phoned her son from her second home in Australia on the Saturday after the attack Vanessa told police that he told her he had been hunting rabbits in the area where Mrs Witchalls was attacked He said he had "skulled a bottle of vodka in one go" and that the entire afternoon was a memory blank pointed out that the police had already arrested a man but he worried he'd become a suspect because of his blue car and earrings and she flew to see her mother in Australia Later she called him from Australia and he said: "I know I didn't do it but maybe there's a monster inside of me." Soon after Rosemary has asked the police for the full transcript of Vanessa's testimony that it's because they cherry-picked the bits that suited their case that the police relied on Vanessa's testimony to explain the cryptic suicide note and so the Standard called her in Australia to ask for her take on the affair This is what Vanessa says: "Richard was never violent The man I was in love with at the time would never hurt anything But he became very confused and scared that the police were going to pin it on him turning the evidence over in my head a million times I have come to this conclusion: I have no idea what happened in the woods that day The case should be left open so that the police can investigate other leads." As far as she is concerned it was convenient to pin the stabbing of Abigail Witchalls on a dead man; one day she is convinced somebody will confess and her son's name will be cleared Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Royals watch historic flypast as huge crowds turns out for VE Day 80th anniversary  Royals watch historic Red Arrows flypast for VE Day 80th anniversary UK tourists face major travel shake-up as Dubai airport set to close David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash in London 'shut down' by council over noise complaints David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash 'shut down' over noise complaints Source:  Image by Richard M Lee Shutterstock Mole Valley District Council is recruiting a design team to re-masterplan Bookham and Dorking in Surrey [Deadline: 22 February 2024] The winner of the estimated £150,000 contract will draw up a pair of masterplan documents which are both supported by UK Shared Prosperity funding and aimed to complete in March 2025 The Bookham masterplan will look at ways to promote walking cycling and overall accessibility within the village The Dorking masterplan will meanwhile explore options for adapting the townscape to support the changing local demographic and provide a space suitable for ‘children and young people and to older people.’ The masterplans will also look at key development sites throughout both settlements According to the brief: ‘Mole Valley District Council (the Council) invites tenders for the provision of professional services to construct two masterplans as set out in these documents The council is procuring this contract following the open procedure under the council’s procurement code The council will be awarding one contract for the provision of all services detailed in the specification ‘The council is seeking to contract with an organisation that will manage the services to the highest levels of satisfaction professional standards and cost effectiveness.’ Dorking is a historic market town located 34 km south of London and 16 km east of Guildford Key challenges faced by the settlement include heavy traffic a lack of ‘defined individual character’ in key spaces poor condition public realm and inconsistent lighting design Bookham – comprising the two villages Great Bookham and Little Bookham – is located 37 km south-west of London and 16 km east of Guildford Key ambitions include making the high street ‘more attractive and accessible’ reducing congestiong and relocating pedestrian crossings to encourage footfall at retail areas Bids to deliver the contract will be evaluated 70 per cent on quality and 30 per cent on cost Applicants must hold employer’s Liability Insurance of £10 million Public Liability Insurance of £10 million and Professional Indemnity Insurance of £2 million Hutchison Ports is recruiting a design team for its new £9 million… An open international contest is being held for a major €27.5 million… An international design and build contest is being held for 25 new… The UK Research and Innovation Science and Technology Facilities Council (UKRI-STFC) has… Miss Green and Miss Wheeler felt that the school would benefit from moving closer to London and relocated to Little Bookham in 1937.' By InYourArea Community · 23 September 2020 This September marks 100 years of the Manor House School Founded in Devon during the days of the British Empire With the new academic year starting afresh this September Manor House School was ready to open its gates to staff and students with lessons and teaching moving online and into homes during much of 2020 plans for the Centenary celebrations have been put on hold until 2021 early September saw staff and girls reunite enthusiastically onsite Manor House School started its life in the seaside town of Sidmouth “To love it to Live,” is still central to the school’s ethos today education for children had become compulsory only 39 years before in 1881 schooling was seen as a passport to success for Victorian middle-class boys who were educated "for the world," whilst middle-class girls were educated "for the drawing room." Most were taught at home with only a minority attending boarding schools with a non-academic curriculum with this pattern continuing until the First World War changes had started to be seen with the founding of the North London Collegiate School in 1850 The first modern fee-paying day school offering girls a similar education to that given to boys followed in 1877 by the first girls' public school in St Andrew's the population of England and Wales had reached 37 million compared to 26 million in 1881 and the 1918 Representation of the People Act had enfranchised all men over the age of 21 and all women over the age of 30 Many more middle-class British girls were attending school studying a curriculum similar to that taught at boys' schools although its ultimate purpose was still to prepare women for the role of wife and mother The same period saw the opening of numerous girls’ boarding schools fuelled by the demand from middle-class British parents based overseas during the days of the British Empire Miss White and Miss Wheeler grasped their opportunity to create a nurturing and academic environment for both girls and boys to thrive whilst meeting the needs of overseas families and offering a haven after the hardships of the First World War At the time the Beehive School was opening its doors Sidmouth was known as a holiday destination the northern edge of the “English Riviera,” with the Sidmouth Guide of 1930 listing 17 hotels and 66 boarding houses made it “the most fashionable seaside resort in England.” Miss Green and Miss Wheeler felt that the school would benefit from moving closer to London and relocated to Little Bookham in 1937 when Miss Green acquired the Manor House The School has occupied the same site ever since even remained open throughout the Second World War The following decades saw further expansion with the building of the sports hall known as EGH (Elizabeth Green Hall) and Mason the school has known 11 headmistresses and was named best small school in 2007 in the Sunday Times Best UK School guide When Alumni talk about what they remember of their time at the school Lasting friendships are always first to be mentioned outdoor performances and games in the Dell (a natural amphitheatre in the school grounds) and of course the Marrow Uniform (for better or worse) old girls remember staff with high standards for learning and behaviour but above all a caring and nurturing community where girls were encouraged to be themselves One boy boarder during the Second World War recently shared copies of letters he had sent from Manor House in 1942 to his father who had been captured and incarcerated in Saigon as a Japanese prisoner of war More recently the school has had contact with fashion designers civil servants with the Ministry of Defence all of whom make up the rich legacy of the school the outdoor swimming pool is calling for its summer games to resume and the school community looks forward to celebrating its centenary See the latest news, information, conversations and much more, all tailored to your neighbourhood, in the InYourArea live feed here LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} In line with Mole Valley District Council’s draft Affordable Housing Strategy 2020 to 2025 we are delighted to announce the completion of 10 new affordable housing units at ‘The Saddlery’ in Little Bookham which forms part of an open market development by Thakeham Group on previously developed land working in partnership with Mole Valley District Council took handover of the completed units at the end of March 2020 The 5 rental units are already allocated and will provide much needed long term, social rent homes for individuals and families previously on Mole Valley’s Housing Register An investment of £315,000 was made by Mole Valley District Council to Mount Green Housing Association to ensure the rents were set at an affordable level are now on the market and are ready to be viewed virtually with applications being progressed so that the new home owners will be ready to move in as soon as possible “We live in an extremely desirable and attractive district meaning homes in Mole Valley sell at prices above the national average and rents are often well above Housing Benefit levels people on low incomes cannot always afford housing in our area By working with partner agencies such as Mount Green Housing Association and by investing in developments such as ‘The Saddlery’ we are proactively assisting these families and individuals by creating long term housing solutions to help bridge the gap.” Chief Executive of Mount Green Housing Association said “’The Saddlery’ is an excellent example of our strong working partnership with Mole Valley District Council and Thakeham Group which demonstrates our commitment to making sure we offer a great quality affordable housing solution for our local community The investment from Mole Valley helps us to keep the rents lower than would otherwise be possible ——————————- For more information on shared ownership and the units which are available to buy at ‘The Saddlery’ please visit https://www.helptobuyagent3.org.uk/ ‘Social rents’ are set using a government formula This creates a ‘formula rent’ for each property which is calculated based on the relative value of the property the size of the property and relative local income levels housing associations make the rental of their properties more affordable for those on low incomes Mole Valley District Council has enabled 875 new affordable homes The target set by MVDC   was 50 per year This rate has been achieved despite the constraints of reducing levels of government subsidy high land prices typical of the South East and the fact that 90% of the district is designated Green Belt Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or open countryside.  A young mother is fighting for her life today after being stabbed in front of her two-year-old son was knifed in the neck as she pushed her child in a buggy along a quiet village footpath in Surrey With blood pouring from the wound she was found by a neighbour near her home Mrs Witchalls is on a life-support machine with her parents and husband at her hospital bedside which police called "horrific and unprovoked" came as official figures revealed a nine per cent surge in violent crime in England and Wales Mrs Witchalls' mother is a leading psychiatrist who will be inaugurated as president of the Royal College of Psychiatry in June Today Abigail's father-in-law James Witchalls told the Evening Standard her family is shattered "Abigail is absolutely beautiful," he said "She is the most wonderful woman you could imagine." He added: "She was walking along with Joseph when someone approached her and asked her for money He then attacked her by stabbing her in the neck "Obviously there was a commotion and Abigail screamed A neighbour would have heard that scream and found her "The assailant has damaged her spinal cord leaving her totally paralysed Joseph was unharmed but during the attack his pushchair had turned upside down and he was on the floor." Mr Witchalls added: "We border onto 300 acres of National Trust common land "She was just on one of the little walkways when the attacker confronted her." was attacked minutes from her family home in the commuter village of Little Bookham Neighbour Robert Hall today told how he comforted the mother and child I rushed outside and saw her with her small boy," he said My neighbour had wrapped a scarf around her neck Blood was coming out of her nose and she could not move her head "I kept reassuring her the police and ambulance would come soon Her boy was not hysterical - he looked absolutely numb." When paramedics arrived Mrs Witchalls was still conscious but barely able to talk She was taken to Epsom District Hospital and later transferred to St George's Hospital in Tooting - where her mother is head of psychiatry It is believed her attacker was a white man Officers sealed off the road leading to the footpath and forensic experts are searching the area A police chief said the shocking attack happened in the safest corner of the safest county in England said: "This type of serious incident is very Little Bookham is a suburb between Dorking and Guildfordsurrounded by open farmland-The attack took place on a muddy footpath behind Burnhams Street which leads through an area of woodland to the village common The tree-lined streets feature several million-pound detached houses and are surrounded by quiet country lanes said: "This has come as a terrible shock to us all "This is a most unexpected sort of thing to happen in this area." said: "This is a particularly distressing attack on a young mother We would appeal to anyone with information to come forward." Anyone with information should ring Surrey police on 0845 1252222 Audio and Video links from this page require Realplayer Abigail Witchalls was stabbed in the neck as she pushed her toddler son in his buggy near her home in Little Bookham who was left paralysed after being stabbed in front of her son said the media intrusion following the attack was in some ways more traumatic than tending to her daughter Baroness Hollins told the Leveson Inquiry that much of the reporting was "honest and compassionate" but the scale of it was "incredibly intrusive" and it began to form divisions among members of the family about how to deal with it than the experience of actually attending to the real tragic event that had taken place." Mrs Witchalls was left paralysed after being stabbed in the neck as she pushed her toddler son in his buggy near her home in Little Bookham Her mother described the massive interest that newspapers and broadcasters showed in the horrifying attack "The press coverage of my daughter's injury was just everywhere Mrs Witchalls's family received offers of as much as £300,000 for her exclusive story but they turned them down and employed a media handler to manage inquiries from journalists an eminent psychiatrist who was made a life peer in 2010 criticised insensitive and inaccurate reporting including a journalist visited her terminally-ill mother and refused to leave until she provided a picture of Mrs Witchalls She also condemned the News of the World for revealing four days after the attack that Mrs Witchalls was five weeks pregnant when she was stabbed - something she did not know herself Baroness Hollins told the hearing: "The intrusion seemed really not to have any sensitivity to the fact that we were not in any way seeking publicity Prosecutors and police announced in November 2005 that 23-year-old Richard Cazaly who died eight days after the attack from a suspected overdose would have faced criminal charges over Mrs Witchalls's stabbing if he was still alive Receive today's headlines directly to your inbox every morning and evening Please check your inbox to verify your details Police are today examining a suicide note left by a suspect in the stabbing of Abigail Witchalls who killed himself five days after the attack could provide crucial clues to the inquiry into the attempted murder was found dead from an overdose of paracetamol after a 600-mile drive to a remote spot in Scotland The former teacher had recently moved to the Surrey village of Little Bookham where Mrs Witchalls was stabbed in the neck as she walked with her 21-month-old son Joseph had been named as a suspect by villagers and had been spoken to by police informally during house-tohouse enquiries He drove a blue car and wore earrings similar to those worn by the knifeman described by Mrs Witchalls He is also believed to match the description of the suspect she gave to police Cazaly disappeared from the village following the attack which left the 26-year-old mother paralysed from the neck down He drove to the far north-west of Scotland where two days later he phoned for an ambulance from his car The call was traced to a remote hamlet in Kinlochewe but by the time paramedics arrived he was found unconscious and slumped over the wheel An ambulance took him 80 miles to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness where he suffered liver failure He died on 30 April after being transferred to a hospital in Edinburgh Surrey Police say the manner of his death now means detectives regard Cazaly as a "significant suspect" though they remain "open-minded" Forensic science tests were today being carried out on his body to see if he can be linked by DNA to the crime scene His Volvo 440 car is also being examined in a search for traces of Mrs Witchalls's hair Police sources say Cazaly's was one of 40 names handed in to officers but it did not stand out at the time Villagers had spoken of their concern about him 48 hours after the attack Officers had visited his home in Water Lane He was also questioned briefly at a roadblock Cazaly lived in a communal house in the village which is owned by his employer His home has been searched and clothes and property seized It is not believed that Mrs Witchalls knew the 23-year-old and detectives are still waiting to be able to interview her again formally in hospital After a 10-hour drive he arrived in Scotland and checked into a bed and breakfast He dialled 999 and asked for an ambulance on 27 April His friends and colleagues have told detectives that there had been no other reason for him to commit suicide Detectives may have to wait for at least three weeks until DNA tests are completed to determine any positive link Mrs Witchalls was stabbed once as she pushed home her son from a mother and toddler group The attacker held a knife to her son's throat before turning on Mrs Witchalls grabbing her by the hair and thrusting the three-inch blade into her neck She was able to give a brief description of the attacker and mentioned a blue car The fate of the unborn baby remains unknown She was taken to hospital where doctors had almost given up hope when she started to make a miraculous recovery She has since been able to mouth words and blink in response to questions and is continuing her recovery was arrested in connection with the attempted murder By SAM GREENHILL FOR THE DAILY MAIL Updated: 01:14 BST doctors gave Abigail Witchalls little chance of survival But not only did the young mother regain consciousness within months she had given birth to her second son Mrs Witchalls has another reason to smile after having her third child 'Miracle: Abigail and Benoit with sons Joseph and Dominic in 2005 The wheelchair-bound 31-year-old has had a daughter The little girl was born on June 6 at the family's home in Surrey Yesterday friends and family of Abigail and her husband Benoit spoke of their joy as they helped the couple celebrate with their other children Speaking outside their home in Little Bookham a friend said: 'They are all really well and really happy The baby is fit and healthy and everyone is over the moon.' Road to recovery: Abigail has her hand worked on by occupational therapist Emma Linley at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore Abigail is doing really well and is incredibly happy.' Mrs Witchalls was stabbed in the neck with a three-inch hunting knife on April 20 when she was 26 years old and ten weeks' pregnant with Dominic in his buggy through the leafy village of Little Bookham in broad daylight when her attacker struck Attacker: Richard Cazaly committed suicide before he could be charged with stabbing Mrs Witchalls Mrs Witchalls lost consciousness and was so ill doctors were afraid she would die within two days two medics believed her to be clinically dead was even read her last rites - but then astounded everyone by regaining consciousness she was an inpatient in the Spinal Injuries Unit at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore she was on a ventilator with a tracheotomy to allow her to breathe She moved home to her specially adapted bungalow in October 2005 Mrs Witchalls had regained fluent enough speech to reveal her feelings about the attack Her attacker is thought to have been Richard Cazaly a 23-year-old former public schoolboy who had been high on drink and drugs He took a fatal overdose eight days after the stabbing Police said he would have been charged with attempted murder if he had not killed himself The comments below have been moderated in advance We are no longer accepting comments on this article The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group