The landlady of the Barge pub is delighted that murder squad detectives have finally ruled out her car park as a crime scene.

Geraldine Evans has always insisted Danny Davis was not murdered outside her Clay Hill Road pub, in Vange.

She was shocked to discover officers had sealed the car park off the morning after the 24-year-old was stabbed in the buttock.

Detectives now believe the fatal attack in fact took place across the road near the Ryedene flats, off London Road.

To add insult to injury for Mrs Evans, they also admitted they were never 100 per cent certain the pub car park was the scene.

Mrs Evans, whose family has run the Barge for generations, said today (Thursday): "I told the police the morning after the stabbing it did not happen outside my pub.

"You cannot live here for over half a century and not know your community.

"I know where the trouble is and I was here that night -- I just wish they would have listened."

Mrs Evans and husband Graham were lucky to keep hold of their customers as their landmark venue was attached to the brutal murder committed on Saturday, February 19.

They firmly believe they have been a victim of geography -- and continue to promote their venue as a decent family set-up.

Just last weekend Mrs Evans successfully pulled the struggling community together for her annual Vange Village Fayre.

She said: "Hundreds of people pass through our car park each day. Good people live around here and if they had seen anything outside the pub they would have come forward.

"I am just so relieved the police have realised the truth, however I am still sad a young man lost his life."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.