Search for missing schoolgirl called off

The search for missing schoolgirl Arlene Arkinson was called off today because of flooding.

Heavy rain made it impossible for the search to continue at bogland near her home town of Castlederg, CoTyrone.

Detective Inspector John Gilmore said: “Depending on the weather, we hope to go back in a week or so. In the meantime, we are getting on with other work.”

Police had sealed off six acres of land on the Drumquin Road as part of the search operation.

Arlene, 15, disappeared in August 1994 after she left to go to a disco in Bundoran, Co Donegal with serial sex attacker Robert Howard, 61, who last month was cleared of her murder.

Scientists, a victim-recovery dog from South Yorkshire police and a special adviser from the National Crime Operations Faculty at Bramshill had been involved in the search.