No finds in Muriel McKay dig as search continues

Police hoping to unearth the remains of Muriel McKay said nothing had been found after five days of digging.

A new search began on Monday at Stocking Farm in Hertfordshire, where Mrs McKay was held hostage and murdered in 1969. Her body has never been found.

It emerged on Thursday that her family were trying to persuade police and government officials to allow her killer into the UK from Trinidad, to help pinpoint the spot where she was buried 55 years ago.

The Met Police told the BBC no finds had been made at the site, with digging work expected to continue until Wednesday.

Mrs McKay, 55, was held to ransom for £1m by two brothers who had mistaken her for Anna Murdoch, the then-wife of newspaper tycoon Rupert Murdoch. She was married to his deputy, Alick McKay.

They took her to Rooks Farm – now Stocking Farm in Stocking Pelham, near Stanstead – where she was later killed.

Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein were convicted of Mrs McKay’s kidnap and murder, and while Arthur died in prison, Nizamodeen was later deported to Trinidad.

Police previously searched the farm in 1970 and again in 2022.

Earlier this year, the family flew to Trinidad and spoke at length with Nizamodeen, who pointed to the spot on a map where he claimed she was buried.

Detectives also visited Nizamodeen and despite concerns about "inconsistencies in his accounts", said they would carry out this "final search for completeness".

The Met had said that it had "carefully considered" bringing Nizamodeen to the UK, but did not believe he would provide "any further or useful information".