A lorry driver has told an inquest investigating the death of Corrie McKeague that there was no-one inside a bin in Bury St Edmunds when it was emptied into his vehicle.

Mr McKeague, a gunner based at RAF Honington, was 23 when he disappeared in the early hours of September 24, 2016.

He was last seen on CCTV at 3.25am that day when he entered a service area behind a Greggs store, after leaving a nightclub in the west Suffolk town.

Police believe the serviceman, who was from Fife in Scotland, climbed into a bin which was then tipped into a waste lorry.

His remains have never been found, despite a search of a landfill site.

Bin lorry driver Martyn Thompson told an inquest at Suffolk Coroners' Court on Thursday that he arrived at the service area, which was the first stop on his round, at 4.19am.

He said: "I reversed up to do Greggs’ bin and, as I put the handbrake on the vehicle, I looked out of the driver’s window, that’s when I saw another individual."

He said the man was wearing light-coloured trousers and a pink shirt, leaning against a wall and "looking at a mobile phone, as the screen was illuminated".

"I thought ‘He’s a smartly-dressed chap, he’s been on a night out’," Mr Thompson said.

He said he got out of the lorry to empty the Greggs bin and then did not see the man again.

Mr Thompson said he did not speak to the man.

Asked by Peter Taheri, counsel to the inquest, if he checked inside the bin before emptying it, Mr Thompson said: "I did check the bin because me and a colleague of mine, we always had this thing with that particular job.

"It was over-serviced – Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

"It always had very little in it, two plastic bags.

"I would say ‘What an expletive waste of time’."

He continued: "I checked it. I lifted the lid, I can recall what was in there."

Mr Thompson said he looked "far enough to see three clear plastic bags".

Asked if there was anyone inside the bin, he replied: "No, there wasn’t."

Mr Taheri asked if Mr Thompson gave the bin a "good enough kick to rouse anyone inside", and Mr Thompson replied: "Absolutely, yes."

Asked if he would be surprised to hear that there was "more than 100kg" (15st 10lb) in the bin, Mr Thompson replied: "Yes."

Mr Taheri asked Mr Thompson if he stood by his description that there was not much in the bin, to which he replied: "I do."

The inquest, being held before a jury, continues.