Rodney Drive dig ends with no finds

Police have called off excavations at two houses in west Belfast that were part of a police investigation into the disappearance of two boys 27 years ago.

Detectives said on Friday that nothing had been found at the houses at Rodney Drive in the Falls Road area.

However, earlier in the week, police revealed that three “important” witnesses had come forward that enabled them to establish that the boys - Thomas Spence, 11, and 13-year-old John Rogers - were seen together on the day they disappeared at a shop and a bus stop off the Falls Road in November 1974.

Speaking on Friday September 14, Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan, thanked those who had cooperated with the investigation and again apologised to local residents for the disruption caused.

He said: "The time has come to call an end to our painstaking search at Rodney Drive. Nothing was found at the site and we are now satisfied that the boys are not there.

"Despite the fact that we did not find the boys, with the information available to us, it was absolutely necessary that we search these premises.

"We did also manage to identify more witnesses, some of whom may have important new information on the boys' disappearance.

"Our thoughts today are with the families of Thomas and John, who have been waiting for so many years for information about their disappearance. I can assure them that the case remains open and my officers will continue with the investigation.”

Lower Falls Sinn Féin councillor Marie Cush said: “It is now essential that all resources are now directed towards helping the residents of Rodney Drive get their lives back to some sort of normality after what been a particularly distressing period.”

The search and excavation of the two houses, which lasted five days, used specialist heavy digging equipment to unearth the back yards which have had extensions built since 1974.

A team of forensic anthropologists and archaeologists were also involved in the searches. (AMcE)