Police dig in field for murdered estate agent

Officers used a mechanical digger to create a shallow trench in a field off the B4084 between Pershore and Drakes Broughton, in Worcestershire.

They were preparing to use ground-penetrating radar to examine the earth for evidence it was disturbed more than 24 years ago.

Miss Lamplugh, 25, disappeared in July 1986 after leaving her west London offices to meet a mystery client known only as Mr Kipper.

On the day of her disappearance, witnesses reported seeing her argue with a man outside a property in Shorrold Road, Fulham.

Her white Ford Fiesta was later found a mile and a half away. She was declared dead, presumed murdered, in 1994.

Officers have examined thousands of lines of inquiry and conducted DNA testing on 800 unidentified bodies.

Although the case ground to a halt in October 1987, the file remained open and the investigation was actively restarted in 2000. Detectives have apologised for "significant opportunities" which were missed during the first inquiry.

The latest search comes after a potential witness said he saw a mound of earth there around the time Miss Lamplugh vanished. It is several miles from disused military barracks at Norton which were searched by a team of police officers in December 2000.

The area has been linked to prime suspect and convicted killer John Cannan, of Sutton Coldfield. It has been claimed his prison nickname was "kipper". He has been questioned several times but in 2002 prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to charge him.

Miss Lamplugh's father Paul, 79, said friends and relatives were following the investigation closely but were being careful not to get their hopes up.