The death of Black Panther Donald Neilson – who murdered Shropshire heiress Lesley Whittle in 1975 – will hopefully bring an ‘element of closure’ for her family, a county vicar today said.

The Reverend Clive Williams, rector for Highley, said the gruesome events of 36 years ago still remained in the minds of people who lived in the village near Bridgnorth at the time. Neilson’s death was announced yesterday.

Mr Williams said he hoped his death would allow Lesley’s relatives to put the ‘whole sorry episode’ behind them.

Neilson, 75, who was serving four life sentences and had been told he would die in custody, was taken ill on Saturday with breathing difficulties and was pronounced dead on Sunday.

Neilson, a jobbing builder, kidnapped Lesley from her home in Highley leaving a ransom demand for £50,000.

Her body was later found in an underground drainage system hanging from the bottom of a ladder to which Neilson had secured her by the neck with wire.

Lesley was the daughter of George Whittle, who ran the Whittle coach company in Kidderminster. She was heiress to a substantial sum.

At 17, Lesley was the youngest of Neilson’s four victims. She was kidnapped in January 1975. Her naked body was found on March 7 hanging in the drainage shaft at Bath Pool Valley, Kidsgrove, Staffordshire.

Mr Williams, who has served as a vicar in the village for 23 years, today said: “It is something particularly disastrous in the past but people have learned to get on with their lives.

“I’m not sure the same could be said for the Whittle family, who were a very significant and appreciated family in Highley at the time. . . Hopefully Neilson’s death will now bring them an element of closure to the whole sorry episode.”

The police officer who helped bring Neilson to justice also said he hoped his death had brought some closure for his victims’ families.

Retired officer Stuart Mackenzie, 64, said: “He never showed any remorse. I just hope his death has brought some closure for the families of the people he killed.”