Kidnap fears for missing Fife serviceman

Disappearance: Dunfermline mum says the situation is looking more and more suspicious as time goes on

Police have widened their search for an RAF serviceman who has been missing for more than a week amid fears he may have been kidnapped.

Corrie McKeague, 23, was last seen in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in the early hours of September 24.

Searches have been carried out along the A134 between the town and the RAF Honington base to the north over the weekend and police said these have now been extended further afield, with the RAF, search and rescue teams and police helicopters all involved.

It comes as his mother Nicola Urquhart from Dunfermline said she was worried he may have been abducted.

She told the Sunday Times the possibility of kidnap “has been mentioned by the police and it’s not something they would rule out”.

Mrs Urquhart added: “It’s looking more and more suspicious as time goes on that they’re not actually finding him. It (kidnapping) is something that they’re thinking of.

“Obviously it is something they’re looking at, but it’s certainly not something they’re shouting about to me.”

Bury St Edmunds is about 30 miles from RAF Marham, where two men of middle eastern appearance tried to kidnap an RAF serviceman who was out running near the base in July.

Mr McKeague was last seen at about 3.20am on Saturday September 24 and Suffolk police believe he may have been in the area of Mildenhall, a small market town where there is another RAF base about 15 miles north west of Bury St Edmunds, between 4.30am and 8am the same day.

Police are trying to trace anyone who may have seen or spoken to a man matching his description in the area at the time and have released photographs of the clothing he was believed to have been wearing when he disappeared – a pink Ralph Lauren polo shirt and brown suede Timberland boots.

Chief Inspector Steve Denham said: “This behaviour is totally out of character for Corrie and we are very concerned for his welfare.”

Nicola Urquhart says the police are thinking her son Corrie may have been taken following a previous abduction bid by two men in the area.

Corrie was last seen in Bury St Edmunds on September 24.