A MAN with “strong links” to Merseyside was today being questioned over the murder of a teenager he is thought to have met on the internet.

The 32-year-old suspect had not been identified by police last night after giving officers several aliases.

They were conducting extensive inquiries on Merseyside to prove his identity, including DNA and fingerprints.

He was arrested on Monday afternoon, hours before the body of teenager Ashleigh Hall was found in a farmer’s field in Sedgefield, County Durham.

Police said the suspect made an apparent confession to officers after he was arrested for a minor motoring offence before the discovery.

It is understood he led detectives to the scene close to a Little Chef services.

Ashleigh – who was identified by her family last night – was found dead almost 24 hours after she left her home in Darlington. She had told her mother she was staying with a friend on Sunday night and would be back around Monday lunchtime.

A post-mortem took place late last night with the results expected today.