Man denies murdering British-born toddler in Australia when he was a teenager 48 years ago

64-year-old man to stand trial in Sydney next year after police reopen cold case

Cheryl Grimmer pictured with her father John before her disappearance (New South Wales Police)

A 64-year-old man will face trial for the alleged murder of a British-born toddler who disappeared in Australia nearly 50 years ago.

The accused man - a teenager at the time the child vanished - has pleaded not guilty to killing three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer.

The girl disappeared from a shower block at Fairy Meadow Beach in New South Wales, 40 miles south of Sydney, on 12 January 1970.

Despite extensive searches by the Australian authorities, no trace of her was ever found, leaving the case a mystery for more than four decades.

Cheryl Grimmer was one of a family of six to emigrate from the Bristol suburb of Knowles to Australia back in 1969.

The family lived at a hostel near the beach where she went missing.

The accused man, originally from the UK, appeared before the New South Wales Supreme Court in Sydney on Friday via video link.

The 64-year-old cannot be named as he was a 16-year-old minor at the time of the alleged offence. He spoke only to confirm his name and enter the not guilty plea.

A trial will take place at the court in May next year.

In December 2016 New South Wales Police said new information about a possible suspect had come to light.

Detectives announced they had credible information about a Caucasian male seen carrying a child at the time of the disappearance.

In March 2017 prosecutors arrested a man in connection with Cheryl Grimmer’s abduction and murder.

Despite the arrest, detectives have said they doubt a body would ever be discovered.

When the cold case was reopened, Detective Sergeant James Dark said: “Cases like this are never closed until we find out what happened. Any information, no matter how small, can help put the puzzle together and bring us closer to a result.”