RUC to resume search at housing estate for bodies of two men killed by IRA

The RUC with special technical equipment has begun digging beside a housing estate in west Belfast in its search for the bodies of two men who are believed to have been abducted and murdered by the IRA 20 years ago. The mother of one of the men believes an IRA man "with a conscience" supplied information about the possible location of the bodies.

Police began the operation at Glencolin Way on Saturday and continued yesterday following an anonymous tip-off that the bodies of John McClory (17) and Brian McKinney (22) were buried in what was then waste ground in 1978. So far nothing has been found. The search resumes today, police said last night.

Mrs Margaret McKinney said she was putting her trust in God that the bodies would be found, and that they could have a Christian burial, possibly before Christmas. "It's been a long, long wait - 20 years - and these past few days have been like those 20 years all over again." She understood that a serving or former IRA member had supplied information about where the bodies may be lying. She said that a male caller gave the tip-off to the bereavement-counselling group Wave. "Maybe the man had it on his conscience," she said.

This is the first significant breakthrough in the campaign for the return of the bodies known as the "disappeared". Families of the Disappeared welcomed the news of the search. The organisation was established in 1994 to lobby for the return of the bodies of 14 people it believes were abducted and killed by the IRA.

Hope that the bodies would be found came in June when the IRA indicated a willingness to identify where they were buried. At the time, the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, urged anyone with information to come forward and help the families put the tragedy behind them.

As the months passed, there was concern that the IRA was having difficulty in establishing the precise locations of the bodies. Earlier this month, the IRA issued a statement appealing to people with information to contact the organisation or the families concerned.

Now with this tip-off, the prospects of some or most of the bodies being recovered have increased. Mrs McKinney said the recovery of the bodies of her son and John McClory, who were believed to have been murdered for "anti-social behaviour", would be a great relief to the families.

"Whether they find Brian or not, both situations will be hard to face, but if Brian is found, at least we would have a grave to visit, and that would make all the difference," she added. Mr Seamus McKendry of Families of the Disappeared, whose mother-in-law Jean McConville was killed by the IRA in 1972, hoped it would make it possible for other bodies to be located. He believed people with information would be less fearful about coming forward.

RUC members began digging on ground beside the housing estate at Glencolin Way on Saturday and continued working there yesterday. A number of concrete steps were dug up close to the houses yesterday. The operation will resume today, said a police spokeswoman.