Detectives are appealing for information from customers of the Royal Standard pub at the time of landlady Deborah Steel’s disappearance in 1997.
Ms Steel was 37 at the time she was last seen at about 1am on December 28.
The appeal comes after a search of a property in Longfields over the weekend, during which a number of “items of interest” were seized.
DCI Martin Brunning, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit, said: “The focus of our investigation remains very much centred in Ely.
“We would particularly like to hear from anyone who knew Deborah or who drank at the Royal Standard pub.
“I remain convinced the answer to Deborah Steel’s disappearance lies in Ely and that there are people in the city who can provide key information.”
A 70-year-old man from Ely was arrested on September 2 and released on bail to return to Parkside Police Station on October 2.
Anyone with any information should call 01480 425880 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
The initial investigation into Deborah’s disappearance in 1997 focussed on a potential sighting close to the Porta in Ely, heading towards Ely railway station.
But police now say they have ruled this out of the investigation.
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