The killer of schoolgirl Sarah Payne has refused to end her family's torment and reveal details of her final hours.

Roy Whiting agreed to see Sussex detectives who wanted answers to questions that have haunted parents Sara and Michael since he kidnapped and murdered the eight-year-old in July 2000.

The couple are desperate to know how long Whiting kept their daughter alive after he snatched her from a country lane near her grandparents' home in Kingston Gorse, East Preston.

They want to know where she was kept and what happened to her in the 16 days before her body was found in a shallow grave near Pulborough.

Most of all, they want to know where Whiting, 43, buried or disposed of the clothes she was wearing when she abducted.

The couple's hopes were raised when Whiting, who is from Littlehampton, agreed to see detectives from the murder hunt team led by Detective Superintendent Alan Ladley.

Officers travelled to Wakefield prison, where the killer was serving a minimum of 50 years for Sarah's murder.

He has since been moved to another jail after allegedly being slashed across the cheek by another inmate who is now facing criminal charges.

However, he refused to answer their questions and maintained his innocence, despite being convicted of her murder by a jury at Lewes Crown Court.

The officers returned to Sussex after the visit with the couple's questions unanswered.

Mr Ladley said: "It is standard practice to interview prisoners after conviction and Whiting agreed to see us.

"However, when he was interviewed he refused to answer any questions whatsoever. No new light was thrown on the investigation."

Sarah's grandmother, Lesley Payne, 50, said at her Kingston Gorse home: "You can imagine what my feelings are as far as he is concerned.

"But it is in that man's interest to co-operate with the police because he will not be considered for parole until he admits what he did."

Sarah's mother, Sara, said of Whiting: "He never spoke before so I did not really expect him to speak now."

And Sarah's grandfather Terry Payne said: "It just goes to prove what sort of man he is. If he had talked about what he did, it may have brought a little bit more closure.

"There are some things we may not have wanted to hear but for Michael and Sara there are many questions that remain unanswered. In many ways, when this man took that young life he took our lives with him."