The murder of 75-year-old taxi driver Leonard Gomm still remains a mystery on the tenth anniversary of his death, writes Emma Henry.

The body of the father-of-three, who lived at Forest Hill, near Oxford, was found in a country lane near Hampton Gay on June 13, 1990.

He had been killed instantly by a single stab wound to the heart. But his killer has never been found, despite an extensive police investigation, which included a reconstructions of the crime on Crimewatch and Central TV's Police 5.

The Oxford Mail also stepped in, distributing hundreds of posters around the county urging people who had seen Mr Gomm or his taxi on the morning of his death to contact police. Mr Gomm was last heard from shortly after he picked a man up from Gloucester Green bus station, in Oxford, telling his controller he was going to Bicester.

His body was found in a ditch beside the road leading to Hampton Gay, one of Oxfordshire's smallest communities, at 11am by Brackley lorry driver David Crisp. His Ford Granada taxi was parked nearby.

Police worked on the theory that the last passenger Mr Gomm picked up was his killer, but were never able to trace any witnesses who could back this up.

They were also puzzled as to a motive for the killing. Money was found in Mr Gomm's pockets and his cash box was still in the taxi. Up to 40 officers gathered hundreds of statements, but the incident room was officially closed in December, 1990. A small team of officers continued to work on the inquiry, following up new leads, but the team was gradually scaled down.

Exactly one week after the murder, police mounted roadblocks in the city centre and in the Bletchingdon-Hampton Poyle areas in an attempt to jog the memories of people who may have seen a man walking in that area.

They also wanted to question a hitch hiker who was picked up just eight miles from the murder scene on June 13 and dropped off in Banbury.

The man, who was believed to be heading to Glasgow, had facial injuries, which indicated he might have recently been in a fight. He was never traced.

Nor was a young man seen over a four-hour period in Oxford City Centre, carrying a light-coloured sports bag. Officers liaised with police from Peterborough and Staffordshire over two other cabbie murders, but failed to establish a link.

But the file on the case remains officially open. A Thames Valley Police spokesman said the inquiry had been reviewed by Det Supt Steve Morrison, who is currently leading the hunt, and officers were hopeful advances in fingerprinting and DNA testing could still catch the culprit.

He said: "We are in a stronger position than we were a couple of years ago and hopefully are making progress. We don't close investigations, we constantly review them."

Mr Gomm, who had celebrated his 46th wedding anniversary a month before he was killed, started driving part-time for Cowley-based ABC taxis after retiring from the Cowley Rover works. A memorial seat, paid for by his pals in the Oxford Taxi Association, was unveiled at Oxford's railway station in 1992 to mark the second anniversary of his death.

Money donated at his funeral service raised 480 for the Oxford Kidney Unit, based at the Churchill Hospital.

Mr Gomm left a wife, Gwendoline, and three grown-up daughters.