Woodland hunt for wanted men

By Douglas Marshall
BBC News Online, in Annesley, Notts

Armed officers with dogs search "every inch" of woodland

Two helicopters buzz above as the line of black-clad searchers and their dogs emerge on to the empty road.

Some carry guns, others keep close rein on the large Alsatians by their sides.

There are around 450 police officers, who have closed roads and sealed off 2.5 sq km of Nottinghamshire woodland.

They began at first light on a grey and wet morning between the towns of Hucknall and Kirkby-in-Ashfield hunting two dangerous men wanted for violent murders.

There is a public reassurance issue here Supt Stuart Wright

Both have eluded capture despite their faces being splashed across TV screens and newspapers and wanted posters being put up in nearby towns.

The two men, Terry Rodgers and Robert Boyer, are wanted for separate killings within about five miles of one another in the Nottinghamshire mining communities around Mansfield.

Now police say the two investigations have converged on to this small area of shrub and woodland.

Mr Rodgers gave Chanel away at her wedding weeks ago

"We believe one or both of them could be here," says Supt Stuart Wright

"This is a particularly intricate police search. We will be searching every inch of this ground. If the two men or one of the men are here we will find them."

Robert Boyer has been missing since Keith Frogson was found dead on his doorstep in Annesley Woodhouse on 19 July - about a mile from the search site.

Separately, Terry Rodgers is wanted after his daughter Chanel Taylor was shot dead in the home he shared with her five miles away in Huthwaite.

'Traumatised' families

Friday's search - two weeks after Chanel's death - is an escalation of the two manhunts and is the biggest ever seen in the county of Nottinghamshire.

Robert Boyer went missing from his home two weeks ago

Police are keen to show off their efforts with the media being bussed through the cordon with a police escort to take pictures.

"There is a public reassurance issue here. People need to know we are doing all we can in the investigation," says Supt Wright.

But he is vague about why such a concentrated search is taking place here.

"Both are local men. We have had sightings and as you can imagine we have talked to lots and lots of people who know these men.

"I think for both families it has obviously been traumatic.

"The sooner we can bring both murder investigations to an end the better. I hope that can bring a shred of comfort to the families.

"We are going to put everything into it and I think there is evidence of that today."