Police search a Gloucester cafe in connection with the disappearance of a teenage girl suspected of having been murdered by serial killer Fred West.
Mary Bastholm went missing in 1968 at the age of 15 and her body has never been found.
West, who died in prison in 1995 at the age of 53, was previously suspected of her disappearance.
Gloucestershire Police officers are at The Clean Plate cafe on Southgate Street and are expected to stay there for several weeks, police said.
West, one of Britain’s most prolific serial killers, committed at least twelve murders between 1967 and 1987 in Gloucestershire, the majority with his second wife, Rosemary.
All the victims were young women. The dismembered bodies of the victims were usually buried in the cellar or garden of the couple’s house on Cromwell Street in Gloucester, known as the “House of Horrors”.
25 Cromwell Street Gloucester, the former home of Fred and Rosemary was finally demolished
Fred is known to have committed at least two murders on his own, while Rose is known to have murdered Fred’s stepdaughter, Charmaine. The couple were apprehended and charged in 1994.
Deputy Chief Constable Craig Holden said: “This could be an important development in a case that has generated a lot of public interest over the years.
“Based on the information provided to us, we consider this to be new and potentially important evidence in Mary Bastholm’s case, but more detailed assessments will take place over the next few days to determine the extent of the necessary excavations.
“First and foremost, our hearts go out to Mary’s family and we ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.
“This news can naturally alarm those who work near the premises, as well as those in the wider community of Gloucester and beyond.
“The gendarmerie has always said that any new evidence would be examined.
“This has…
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-05-11 12:21:00
