Searching canal for person missing almost 30 years ago

A SPECIALIST team are now searching the Oxford Canal for an 18 years old who disappeared almost 30 years ago.

Nicola Payne has not been seen since she left her boy friend's house in 1991, leaving a six months old baby, but new information has come to light that has prompted a search of the canal by divers near Rugby, with the team now searching the waterway for her body, Alan Tilbury reports.

Desperate to find her

Her family are still desperate to find her and get closure giving her a dignified burial.  The search is taking place around the spur by the footbridge (54) north of Newbold-on-Avon.

A massive police search took place when Nicola first went missing after leaving her boy friend's home, with over 80 officers involved and an heat seeking helicopter called out and even a garden dug up, but nothing was found.

Canal drained

Then in 2001 further information was received and the canal drained around Ansty, but still nothing was discovered.  Then later that year the discovery of bones in the waterway near to where Nicola disappeared led people to believe it was finally solved, but they proved to be the bones of an animal.

It has not been revealed why the search has been resumed, only that further information had been received.