Donna Keogh: Detectives say 'nothing found' in Middlesbrough allotment search

Specialist search teams excavating an area in Middlesbrough say they have not found anything in connection with the murder of Donna Keogh.

Donna Keogh disappeared from Middlesbrough in 1998, when she was 17, and police subsequently said they were treating it as a murder investigation. Reports suggest she was last seen in Hartington Road in the Gresham area in April 1998.

Cleveland Police announced that they would be working with a specialist search team to excavate a former allotment site near Troon Close in a bid to find new information.

During the course of the excavation a fragment of human jaw bone was recovered, however forensic testing confirmed that it is not related to the murder investigation and that it dates back to the early-medieval period.

The search of this area, which was initially scheduled to last five days, is to conclude and police will begin looking at new 'areas of interest'.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Green said: “Donna’s family desperately want to give her a proper funeral and finally lay her body to rest, and finding Donna continues to be a priority for the investigation team.

“This has been a complex and thorough search conducted over a number of weeks and I would like to thank all those who have taken part for their efforts. This has not been easy work, especially given the temperatures our search teams have been working in, and they have demonstrated exceptional professionalism and dedication.

“The recovery of a bone fragment slowed the search considerably and has been the main reason the search activity lasted as long as it did. As well as our search teams, I would like to take local residents for supporting us over this extended length of time.

“Our search at Troon Close came about because our investigation identified it as an area of interest. Other areas of interest have also been identified where we will be conducting targeted searches in the coming months.”