A BOOTLACE found at the scene of the murders of Lin and Megan Russell could help nail serial killer Levi Bellfield for the hammer atrocity.

       Michael Stone is serving three life sentences for the 1996 murders of Lin, 45, Megan, six, and attempted killing of Josie Russell, nine.

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       A bootlace found at the scene of the murders of Lin and Megan Russell could help nail serial killer Levi Bellfield for the hammer atrocity Credit: PA:Press Association 5

       Michael Stone is serving three life sentences for the 1996 murders of Lin, 45, Megan, six, and attempted killing of Josie Russell, nine Credit: PA:Press Association 5

       The Sun can reveal 'fragments' of DNA have been found on a bootlace — which was missing for 14 years until being found in police storage

       But The Sun on Sunday yesterday revealed Bellfield had confessed to the crime.

       And The Sun can today reveal “fragments” of DNA have been found on the bootlace — which was missing for 14 years until being found in police storage.

       Sources say it could match Bellfield and several other men, but scientists have not been able to establish a definite link.

       Work is being carried out on the black 99cm long bootlace, which had traces of blood from both girls.

       It was found a short distance from the bodies and the prosecution originally claimed it was consistent with being used as a tourniquet by a junkie.

       But no forensic link was established with ex-heroin addict Stone, who would have used his teeth on the lace as a tourniquet for a fix.

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       Bellfield, 53, has now claimed he used the lace to tie up Lin’s hands before the savage attack on the mother and her daughters.

       The Sun on Sunday yesterday revealed that Bellfield made a full -confession last month to Stone’s solicitor about the attack on the Russells in Chillenden, Kent.

       He is serving a whole life term after being convicted in 2008 of the hammer murders of Amelie Delagrange, 22, Marsha McDonnell, 19, and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy.

       He was convicted three years later of murdering schoolgirl Milly Dowler, 13.

       Bellfield is being held in the vulnerable prisoners’ unit at Durham’s Frankland jail, where Stone, now 61, is on the main wing.

       The Criminal Cases Review Commission is currently re-considering the safety of Stone’s conviction.

       He wants an independent outside force to investigate the new claims by Bellfield and his lawyers are also asking for full disclosure of DNA tests on the bootlace.

       In his statement, Bellfield ended the confession by apologising to Stone and the Russell family “for my heinous acts”.

       However, he made a previous confession to another prisoner about carrying out the Russell murders and later retracted it.

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       Michael Stone is serving three life sentences for the 1996 murders of Lin, 45, Megan, six, and attempted killing of Josie Russell, nine Credit: PA 5

       In 2011 Bellfield was found guilty of murdering schoolgirl Milly Dowler, 13 Credit: PA:Press Association