Corrie McKeague’s mum says he may have left area last seen on foot

In a near 3,000-word post on Facebook, Nicola Urquhart revealed that she believes Corrie is seen leaving the ‘horseshoe’ area in Bury St Edmunds and walking down Short Brackland Street in the town.

Mrs Urquhart also claims she has been misled by senior officers at Suffolk police, who have “tried to only provide us with information that fits their preferred theory at the time”.

Suffolk police refutes the allegations in the post and says “everything we have said and done has been in good faith”.

The force has always maintained that the “most likely” scenario was that Corrie got into a bin and was emptied into the Biffa lorry and consequently ended up in the waste process.

Corrie McKeague in a picture uploaded by his mother. Picture: CONTRIBUTED (Image: Archant)

It has also continually stressed that after “exhaustive enquiries”, it is satisfied he did not walk out of the horseshoe area or get a lift.

The gunner, who was based at RAF Honington, near Bury St Edmunds, went missing after a night out in the town on September 24, 2016.

The theory that he had climbed into a bin led to two searches of a landfill at Milton in Cambridgeshire, which found no trace of the airman.

Mrs Urquhart, who said she saw the footage at her latest meeting with Suffolk police, said: “We have been shown CCTV of people in the area of the horseshoe just after Corrie walked in there, all are wearing dark clothing. “You see them leaving the area and one is clearly wearing white or very light coloured trousers – I believe this is Corrie.

“These people leave the area walking down Short Brackland Street immediately after the bin lorry left.”

Mrs Urquhart added that she believes Corrie is not in the landfill and “never was”.

“I have spoken at length with the staff at Red lodge and I firmly believe that had Corrie been dropped there by the Biffa bin the staff there would have seen him.”

Mrs Urquhart added that she will continue the search of around the A134 for her son.

The horseshoe in Bury St Edmunds Picture: NEIL DIDSBURY (Image: Archant)

“I will continue to do all I can to make sure it is searched and my son is found,” she said.

“I will not give up, neither will Corrie’s brothers or our family. I will also do all I possibly can to make sure no other mother, brother, daughter, family or friend ever has to go through this.”

Corrie’s father, Martin McKeague, previously shared a statement from Suffolk Police saying a Biffa bin picked up on the day Corrie went missing, in the area where he was last seen, weighed 256lb (116kg) - much heavier than usual.

He said he accepted his son is “gone”.

Corrie McKeague on CCTV outside The Grapes pub in Bury St Edmunds Picture: SUFFOLK CONSTABULARY (Image: Archant)

A Suffolk Constabulary spokesman said: “Suffolk Constabulary refutes the allegations made in the Facebook post by Nicola Urquhart that senior officers have been dishonest in their approach.

“Everything we have said and done has been in good faith and for the right reasons. We have sought to be as open and transparent as possible with the family.

“This investigation was conducted in line with the Code of Ethics. The most likely scenario is that Corrie McKeague unfortunately went into the bin which was emptied into the Biffa lorry and consequently ended up in the waste process.

“We have come to this conclusion based on all of the evidence we have available to us, and not just the weight of the bin.

“Our investigation has been reviewed by an outside force and the review agreed that Suffolk Constabulary’s preferred hypothesis of what happened to Corrie was the most likely one given the evidence available.

“Suffolk Constabulary has previously stated that unless new, realistic and credible information becomes available then the investigation is complete. There is no information available at this time that changes the status of the investigation.”