Police seek man captured on CCTV following horrific stabbing death of girl (9)

Captured on camera, the CCTV images show the bearded man wearing a blue T shirt and black trousers who is believed to have been filmed at around the time that Lilia Valutyte was stabbed to death on Thursday evening.

As Lincolnshire Police launched a manhunt to catch the killer, two other people who were earlier arrested in connection with her death were released and told they face no further action.

Lilia had been reportedly playing in the street with her sister outside an embroidery and screen printing shop run by her Lithuanian mother Lina Savicke in Fountain Lane when she was attacked at around 6.20pm on July 28.

“We are urgently appealing for the public’s help to identify the man in these photographs, who we want to speak to following the death of nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte,” Lincolnshire Police said in statement.

“As part of our fast-moving murder investigation, we now have CCTV images of a man who we need to locate.

“Any information, however small, may prove critical to our enquiries. Two people who were arrested earlier this week have now been released with no further action.”

Chief Superintendent Martyn Parker of Lincolnshire Police added: “Our officers have been working round the clock on this investigation, and the public’s help may prove crucial.

“These are very clear images of a man we want to speak to, so I’d urge anyone with information to get in touch with us. If you see him, do not approach him but immediately call 999.”

“This is a particularly tragic case and I’d like to reassure the public that we have a huge amount of resources dedicated to the investigation.

“We continue to provide support to the family of Lilia, as they grieve following this unimaginable loss.”

Police have not disclosed the age or sex of the people who were earlier arrested, but confirmed that they were not the parents of Lilia who was known as Lily.

Meanwhile, locals have been left in “profound shock” with a local MP appealing for national assistance to catch the killer.

Matt Warman, the Conservative MP for Boston and Skegness, said he had been in contact with the policing minister to ensure national assistance is available to the murder investigation.

"Profoundly shocking news in Boston this evening,” he tweeted.

"I have spoken to senior officers locally and am hugely grateful for all the emergency services' work.

"I have also been in contact with policing minister Tom Pursglove to ensure that any national help that might be useful is made available as quickly as possible."

Latest figures for England and Wales show offences involving knives are up by 10 per cent compared to the previous year.

A wave of stabbings in London led to the deaths of three people in less than 24 hours and another badly injured.

And this is not the first time children have become victims of fatal stabbings in Britain, with 12-year-old Ava White murdered by a teenager in Liverpool last November. He was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in jail.