A planned landfill site search in Cambridgeshire for missing RAF Honington serviceman Corrie McKeague has been delayed as the site is not yet safe to access.
The 23-year-old vanished after a night out in Bury St Edmunds in September last year.
A week ago, police announced their intention to search the FCC Environment landfill site at Milton, which was intended to begin on February 22.
This afternoon, Detective Superintendent Katie Elliott said: “It was initially hoped that the search could start next week, but the logistics of building access routes and ensuring the area is safely accessible for those who will be carrying out the work mean further preparatory activity will need to be done first.
“This is a considerable task and we need to ensure everything is in place before officers begin the process of going through the waste in the landfill.
“We have been liaising with Corrie’s family around the timescales involved and, while we can’t confirm a start date, this preliminary work will be completed as quickly as possible, so the full-scale search can take place.” Police say 8,000 tonnes of bulk material will have to be removed first to allow safe access to where the search needs to take place.
Private investigator passes information to detectives
Suffolk Constabulary said officers had been in touch with the airman’s family today to update them on the preparatory work.
Money raised by the public has helped the family hire private investigation company McKenzie Intelligence Services to scrutinise a huge amount of information sent to the family by members of the public.
A police spokeswoman said: “Police have also been reviewing data that has now been provided by a private company employed by Nicola Urquhart to see if this can provide any further information to assist the investigation.”
Witness traced
A recent CCTV appeal has yielded another piece of information, officers have today revealed.
A number of images were released by police of people who could hold vital information to what happened to Corrie.
A further potential witness has been traced, with police identifying a cyclist shown in the recently-released CCTV images.
They have now renewed appeals for help tracing the two remaining people seen on foot in the area where Corrie was last seen.
The first was described as an “older gentleman” and the second was someone seen walking through the Brentgovel Street area of town, close to the horseshoe-shaped refuse site opposite Short Brackland around 5.15am–5.20am on September 24.
“Both are potential witnesses who could have information that may assist and detectives continue to ask them or anyone who knows who they are to get in touch,” said police.
Any information relating to Corrie’s disappearance or about the potential witnesses should be passed to the incident room on 01473 782019.
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