The woman who led the successful prosecution of the killer of schoolgirl Sarah Payne is leaving Sussex.
Alison Saunders, in charge of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for the county, is taking a top job in the London office of the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith.
Mrs Saunders, 42, will begin advising Lord Goldsmith on subjects including criminal contempt and war crimes, on July 14.
She said: "I shall be sorry to leave Sussex but I am looking forward to my new challenge."
The Jill Dando murder trial was the highest-profile case Mrs Saunders had taken on until she accepted the Sussex post just over two years ago.
She stood with Sarah Payne's family on the steps of Lewes Crown Court in December 2001 after Roy Whiting was jailed for life for murder.
Mrs Saunders also oversaw the prosecution last August of Catherine Thompson, who was put on probation and fined for stalking her GP.
The case lasted seven days, making it the longest magistrates' court trial in history. It also resulted in awarding of record costs of £5,000 to the CPS.
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