Search continues for Corrie McKeague 280 days since his Bury St Edmunds disappearance
The search continues for Corrie McKeague. Picture submitted. - Credit: Archant
Today marks the 280th day since RAF serviceman Corrie McKeague went missing after a night out in Bury St Edmunds as the landfill search for him continues.
The route of the refuse lorry which emptied a bin near Corrie McKeague's last known location. Picture: ARCHANT GRAPHICS UNIT - Credit: Archant
Specialist officers have been scouring the landfill in Milton, Cambridgeshire, for 17 weeks and have now searched around 5,000 tonnes of waste at the site.
Suffolk police says the search will not go on indefinitely, but while officers are still finding rubbish with dates relevant to the time of Corrie's disappearance - it will continue.
MORE: Girlfriend of missing airman Corrie McKeague announces birth of their babyThe area being searched has been expanded since specialist officers began examining the landfill on March 8, and police say the investigation is reviewed on a day-to-day basis.
Corrie, 23, was last seen 40 weeks ago on September 24, after a night out in Bury St Edmunds. He was recorded on a CCTV camera at 3.24am entering a refuse area behind Greggs, off Brentgovel Street.
The search continues for missing RAF gunner Corrie McKeague at the Milton Landfill site in Cambridgeshire. Picture: GREGG BROWN - Credit: Gregg Brown
It is believed he may have ended up in a bin lorry that collected rubbish from the Greggs bakery and was taken to the landfill site.
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Police did not originally search the landfill as it was first thought that the Biffa bin lorry weighed just 11kg and could not have transported Corrie to the site.
However, in March detectives discovered the waste collection picked up from the horseshoe area behind Greggs on September 24 was found to be far heavier at more than 100kg.
Corrie McKeague. Picture: SUFFOLK CONSTABULARY - Credit: Archant
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A spokeswoman for Suffolk police said: 'The search will not go on forever and ever, but while we continue to find refuse which is relevant to the dates of Corrie's disappearance, then the search will go on.
MORE: Difficult to remain positive says Nicola Urquhart, mother of missing man Corrie McKeague
'Officers have now gone through 5,000 tonnes of waste at the landfill and the search is reviewed on a day-to-day basis regarding the rubbish which is being found.'
Corrie's mother said in a detailed post on social media last week that she 'continues to wait for the phone call' in the search for her son.
The search continues for missing RAF gunner Corrie McKeague at the Milton Landfill site in Cambridgeshire. Picture: GREGG BROWN - Credit: Gregg Brown
Nicola Urquhart, 48, updated the 128,000 members of the Find Corrie Facebook group on Sunday.
She said: 'Due to the rubbish that is being found, if Corrie is in this landfill he could literally be found tomorrow. So we continue to wait for the phone call.
MORE: Landfill search for missing Corrie McKeague is expanded
'The police will continue to search this area of the landfill until they either find Corrie or the rubbish starts clearly and consistently showing it has gone back too far in date ranges, this is why no completion date can be given.'
April Oliver and Corrie McKeague together. Photo from April Oliver. - Credit: April Oliver
