Muriel McKay's family join police at dig for her body: Son

Family members of Muriel McKay described themselves as ‘apprehensive’ today as they joined police at the dig for her body at a farm, more than half a century after she was last seen.

They also criticised police for not allowing one of the men convicted of kidnapping and murdering her from being allowed on the site to help with the search.

Mrs McKay was 55 when she was kidnapped from her home in Wimbledon, south west London, in December 1969 by brothers Nizamodeen and Arthur Hosein in the mistaken belief she was the wife of Rupert Murdoch.

She was actually married to the media tycoon’s right-hand man, Alick McKay.

Her abductors took her to Stocking Farm in Stocking Pelham, Hertfordshire – then known as Rook’s Farm and where Arthur was living – and demanded £1 million. But attempts to hand over some money failed and she was never seen again.

Muriel McKay’s son Ian (right) and her grandson Mark Dyer (left) speak to the press today as they joined police in the search for her body at Stocking Farm in Hertfordshire

Muriel McKay’s son Ian McKay (Right) and her grandson Mark Dyer who have visited the farm

Son Ian and grandson Mark Dyer walked with members of the police search team at Stockings farm as they were shown around the search site

Mark arrived at the farm yesterday with Ian, 82, who described it as a ‘place of horror’

Police were spotted yesterday making preparations ahead of an extensive dig of the farm in Stocking Pelham

A digger was seen inside a barn where officers with spades were also seen forming part of the team

The brothers were later jailed for life for blackmail, kidnap and murder following a trial at the Old Bailey which made UK legal history as the first conviction of its kind without the victim’s body.

Police make final preparations at farm before starting to dig for Muriel McKay’s remains

A search of the farm took place at the time and another in 2022, although neither elicited any evidence of Mrs McKay’s remains.

Nizamodeen, 75, has since provided fresh information after being contacted by his victim’s daughter, Dianne, 84, and her son Mark Dyer, 59, leading to the excavation of a site this week.

Mark arrived at the farm yesterday with Dianne’s brother Ian, 82, who described it as a ‘place of horror’ and revealed he was ‘apprehensive’ about the visit and had deliberately ‘stayed away’ from the site previously.

Asked if he was prepared for the possibility of his mother finally being found, he told the Mail: ‘I will have to tell you at the end of the day.’

Ian, who travelled from his home in Australia, also expressed anger that detectives had not allowed Nizamodeen to fly in from his native Trinidad to aid the five-day joint operation between Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police.

Mrs McKay was 55 when she was kidnapped from her home in Wimbledon in 1969 by brothers Nizamodeen and Arthur Hosein in the mistaken belief she was the wife of Rupert Murdoch

Extensive searches have taken place at the farm in Stocking Pelham, Hertfordshire, where police traced her in 1969

Police have begun a fresh dig for the remains of Muriel McKay, who was murdered

‘It seems to me a nonsense that Nizam is not here,’ he said.

‘The fact he’s a convicted criminal is hard for us to swallow but he has served his sentence. Why would you not have the man who has now admitted to burying her here to help find her?’

Inside the search for Muriel McKay: Police officers sift through dirt with trowels

Mr Dyer, whose mother may fly in from her home in Majorca later this week, agreed, saying: ‘What he did was disgusting but we need him here. Not having him for the ‘grand finale’ is bonkers.’

Speaking to The Sun, her son said: ‘I don’t know how I feel. It has been a place of evil and terror for me.

‘The reason I have not been to England for so long is because I have these feelings that are of horror.

‘I feel it is a day of apprehension for us.’

Alick McKay died in 1983 without ever having closure. Before his death, he said: ‘All I want to know is where my wife has been buried so that I can go and place some flowers.’

Arthur Hosein died while serving time but his brother was eventually freed and deported to Trinidad, where he handed over new details to Dianne and Mark when they flew there in January.

He claimed mother-of-three Mrs McKay was given powerful sedatives and died from a heart attack after watching a television appeal from her family.

Crucially, he also said she was buried in her coat in a 5ft-deep hole dug at a dung heap before shovelling soil and grass on top of her.

The last search of the farm was near the spot but police have revealed they didn’t realise how large the dung heap had been.

Photos released yesterday showed a small digger excavating several feet down inside a barn which covers part of the spot indicated by Nizamodeen.

Brothers Arthur (left) and Nazamodeen Hosein (right) were found guilty of her murder. Arthur died in prison in 2009, while Nizam was deported after serving a 20-year-prison sentence

Muriel’s daughter, Dianne (pictured, left), has for years fought to learn the truth of her mother’s murder, travelling to Trinidad with her son Mark Dyer (right) to speak with one of her killers, Nizamodeen Hosein (centre)

The abduction is believed to have involved a case of mistaken identity – with the kidnappers intending to seize Anna Murdoch, first wife of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch (pictured)

Police searched the farm in 2022 (pictured), but Hosein claims they searched the wrong area

Alick McKay is pictured making an appeal from his home in Wimbledon for the safe return of his missing wife in January 1970, with son Ian and daughters Jennifer (left) and Dianne (right)

Gloved officers then moved in and carefully cleared away more dirt with trowels that was taken away in wheelbarrows by colleagues. Around 20 specialist officers are involved.

An area outside the barn will also be examined.

Police have said they remain concerned about inconsistencies in Nizamodeen’s account but agreed to look in a limited search area. They expect to remain until Friday but could stay longer if they believe it is warranted.

Muriel McKay detectives will start Hertfordshire farm dig in July after speaking to her killer – 55 years after she was murdered

Met Police Commander Steve Clayman said before the latest search: ‘Other areas have been highlighted as being of potential interest and it is these that we will search.

‘The main area is where a manure heap once stood – we know now this was larger than we previously thought and therefore that area was not entirely searched in 2022.

‘While we do have concerns about inconsistencies in the account by Nizamodeen Hosein, for completeness we want to do this.’

However, the family have been told that this will be the last attempt to find Mrs McKay as ‘it would not be proportionate to carry out any further searches or investigations’.

Blue tents have been set up at spots around the farm and a large number of police vehicles are present.

A public footpath through the 12-acre site has been closed off.