Face of student murder suspect

The e-fit impression is of a man seen standing outside the flat where Newcastle University graduates Xi Zhou and Zhen Xing Yang were found hacked to death.

Their bodies were found shortly after 4.30pm on August 9, after officers from Northumbria Police were called to a ground-floor flat at 8 Croydon Road, Newcastle.

Detectives believe Mr Zhen, 25, was tortured for up to an hour before he was hacked and stabbed to death by his killers, who then turned on Wagamama noodle bar waitress Miss Xi, also 25. The couple's cat was drowned by their killers.

The last known sighting of either of the victims alive was a CCTV image showing Miss Xi arriving home from work on August 7 at around 4pm.

Following appeals for information, a witness came forward and told police that she saw three people standing at the front gate to 8 Croydon Road at 5pm on August 7. She described one of the people in detail and an artist's impression of the man was released on the BBC's Crimewatch programme on September 11. Following that broadcast a new witness came forward.

Detective Superintendent Steve Wade, leading the investigation, said: "The new witness is able to confirm seeing three men as described in the BBC Crimewatch programme and has given an accurate description of one of the men which is very similar in appearance and clothing to the previously released artist's impression.

"In addition, she was able to give a description of the other two men and has been able to produce an e-fit impression."

Police have already issued an artist's impression of the first man, who was described as being in his late 20s or early 30s, 5ft 4ins tall with short dark hair and of plump build. He was wearing silver-rimmed glasses, light blue jeans, a short-sleeved white and light blue football-style top, possibly with a logo on the front in the centre.

The second man was described as Chinese, 5ft 8in to 6ft tall, of stocky build, approximately 43 years old. He had short combed-back black hair, a bad complexion and was wearing a black suit with a grey round-necked T-shirt underneath. While having the general appearance of being oriental, his eyes were described by the witness as being more rounded than many people of oriental appearance.