Garden search fails to yield man’s remains

Police investigating the suspected murder of a man who disappeared almost 15 years ago have found no human remains in the garden of a disused pub.

Detectives from Hampshire Constabulary sealed off the grounds of the former Gordon Arms pub in Fareham on Tuesday in the search for Kevin Palmer, who went missing on March 12, 1999 after a night out with friends.

Mr Palmer, who was in his 30s, disappeared shortly after arriving in the UK from Spain where he was living at the time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A man was arrested in 2003 on suspicion of murder but he was later released with no further action due to insufficient evidence.

An inquest into Mr Palmer’s death recorded an open verdict.

But police confirmed yesterday that nothing had been found at the search site which was significant to the inquiry.

Detective Superintendent Paul Barton said officers were pursuing leads following a routine cold case review and that the information they had received was “tangible enough to be examined in more detail at the scene”.