Boat and aeroplane owners have been recruited by detectives hunting the prime suspect for the killing of Michael Polding.

Officers have contacted members of the sailing and flying community to try to find out if Ricardo Pisano could have tried to escape Britain by sea or air.

A new photograph of Pisano – dubbed The Artful Dodger – has also been released.

Pisano is wanted for questioning on suspicion of the murder of Michael Polding, who was found dead at his home in St George’s Road, Kemp Town, on July 16.

A murder investigation was launched on July 21 after a post-mortem revealed Mr Polding, who was openly gay, suffered multiple injuries.

Pisano told Mr Polding’s friends and neighbours that he was the 62-year-old’s carer, despite the latter not needing medical support.

Police are desperate to trace Pisano, who had previously escaped from an open prison in New Zealand where he was serving a sentence for extortion and fraud.

Officers from Sussex Police ’s Major Crime Branch are so keen to trace him they have emailed all members of Sussex Police’s Operation Kraken and Operation Pegasus community scheme.

Members received an email alert asking them to keep an eye out for Pisano, who has links to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Kraken “keeps the coastline safe in relation to terrorist activity” while Pegasus is focused on airborne activities.

Kraken members are asked to remain vigilant to suspicious activity on the waterways such as “boats containing people who appear to be engaged in unusual boat handling techniques such as recovering swimmers or divers from the water”.

Sussex Police said about Pegasus: “Are you the owner or operator of an aircraft, helicopter, microlight, involved in recreational airborne activities or employed in the general aviation industry?

“Do you live near small airstrips or areas where an aircraft can land?”

Detectives have uncovered more aliases they believe Pisano has used.

They said he goes by the names Brandon Victor Pillay, Ruthven Pillay, Rick Pisan, Ree and Reece.

He also uses four different dates of birth – 18/06/77, 18/06/83, 18/09/80 and 16/10/76.

Meanwhile Mr Polding’s nephew has also begged Pisano to come forward.

David Clyde, from Glasgow in Scotland, said his whole family were left “devastated” by Mr Polding’s death.

Mr Clyde told Gay Star News: “If this man has nothing to hide he has nothing to fear from coming forward.

“When I was born my mother was very ill and it was Uncle Michael, Uncle Sam and my dad who took her home from hospital.

“He took care of me the first two months of my life. He was a really sweet and funny man. It was a huge blow to us to lose Michael.”

Any information or sightings please call Sussex Police on 101 quoting Operation Journal.