BRITAIN:Police searching a house in Margate, on the southeast coast of England, have discovered a second body, four days after the remains of a 15-year-old Scottish girl were found buried in its back garden.
Local Essex police announced shortly before 2pm yesterday that a second set of human remains had been uncovered at the terraced house at 50 Irvine Drive, but said it was too early to confirm if they were those of Dinah McNicol, an 18-year-old from nearby Tillingham, Essex, who disappeared in August 1991.
They have been conducting an extensive search of the property since Monday morning, having received information that her remains might be found there.
Instead, forensics officers uncovered later that day the body of Vicky Hamilton, who was last seen close to her home in West Lothian, Scotland, in February 1991.
Peter Tobin (61), a former handyman who was living at the Margate address for part of 1991, was charged in July in connection with Vicky's disappearance; on Thursday he was formally charged with her murder.
Ian McNicol, Dinah's father, said: "I have had a call from the police and they seem to think they might have found Dinah. I will be absolutely elated if they have. It will mean we will be able to grieve as a family. It has been long wait. I always said I wanted to know what happened to my daughter before I died and hopefully I will now."
Several dozen local people gathered outside the cordoned- off house yesterday afternoon to watch a black stretcher bearing the remains being loaded into a private ambulance around 3.15pm.
Police have not confirmed where the second body was found.