Divers fail to find murder victim

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Police divers have been searching the River Ouse near Kings Lynn

Police divers have failed in their attempt to find the body of a murdered traveller in a two-day search of a stretch of water in Norfolk.

Officers have been searching water at Saddlebow for the body of Danny Hathaway, of Corby in Northamptonshire, who disappeared in February 2007.

Earlier this year Tony Holland, 23, of Desborough, was jailed for life for the 44-year-old's murder.

One item recovered is not now thought to be significant to the inquiry.

A police spokesman said: "Although divers found a heavy object that was of interest to the investigation, it is not thought to be significant at this stage but will be looked at further."

Northamptonshire Police will now be reviewing the position and consider whether it is useful to carry out further searches at the site.

Tony Holland murdered Danny Hathaway and Bill O'Connor

Det Insp Rankin McCarrick, who was in charge of the searches, said: "We have been in touch with Danny's family and kept them fully up to date with how the search went.

"The thing we want most of all is to be able to find Danny's body and allow his family to bury him. "

Mr Hathaway disappeared after leaving his home on the travellers' site in Gretton Brook Road, Corby, on 7 February last year.

Police searched water at Saddlebow Sailing Club in August 2007 but found nothing.

As well as the murder of Mr Hathaway, Holland was convicted of stabbing to death Bill O'Connor, 20, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in April 2007.

The judge at Ipswich Crown Court who jailed him for life, in May, ruled he must serve a minimum of 35 years.

Mr O'Connor was killed while Holland was on bail after his arrest on suspicion of murdering Mr Hathaway.

Anyone with information is asked to call Northamptonshire Police.