Police have been spotted making final preparations at a farm before starting to dig for Muriel McKay's remains, 55 years after she was murdered.
Mrs McKay was abducted and killed when she was mistaken for newspaper executive Rupert Murdoch's wife.
The 55-year-old woman was actually married to Australian Alick McKay, a deputy to Mr Murdoch, and was held to ransom for £1million by the thugs that kidnapped her and tragically her remains have never been found.
This is despite extensive searches at the farm in Stocking Pelham, Hertfordshire, where police traced her in 1969.
Trinidadian brothers Nizamodeen and Arthur Hosein were jailed in 1970 over her death in what was one of the first murder convictions without a body.
The decision to search the farm again was made after the investigation team visited Nizamodeen to speak to him in person and interviewed him over three days following his offer to show her family where she was buried.
Police have been spotted making the final preparations at a farm before starting to dig for Muriel McKay's remains, 55 years after she was murdered
Extensive searches have taken place at the farm in Stocking Pelham, Hertfordshire, where police traced her in 1969
Mrs McKay, 55, (pictured) was actually married to Australian Alick McKay, a deputy to Mr Murdoch, and was held to ransom for £1million by the thugs that kidnapped her
New photos show blue tents erected on the green ahead of the fresh hunt tomorrow.
Detectives visited Nizamodeen in Trinidad and Tobago, where he was deported after serving his 20-year jail sentence, to speak to him in person after his offer to show her family where she was buried. Meanwhile, Arthur died in prison in 2009.
Ms McKay's daughter Dianne McKay, 84, and grandson Mark Dyer, 59, accompanied the police as they were told their mother was buried at the back of the farm.
In a letter to Ms McKay's family previously, Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin from Scotland Yard said that the operation will be extensive.
It will involve specialist search teams, forensic archaeologists as well as forensic experts and a structural engineer to assess safety issues involving the barn under where it is thought she is buried.
In response, her family wrote: 'In addition, Nizam has also indicated that he should be at [the farm] to show us where he hid Muriel after she had died.
'Nizam has a valid passport and the family are happy to arrange flights and accommodation so that he can assist the family and police in finding Muriel. For completeness it makes sense for him to be present as he was the last person to see Muriel alive.'
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
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)
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 farm was searched at the time of the murder and again in 2022, with 30 police officers, ground penetrating radar and specialist forensic archaeologists used but nothing new was found.
Speaking previously, grandson Mr Dyer said he was 'delighted' and 'had to take a deep breath' when he found out that police would conduct the fresh search.
He said: 'It's been an incredible effort by our family to prompt and nudge the police but ultimately we are glad they are taking this step.
'It is a success but it is only half a job done. We just want to find my grandmother and bury her at my mother's farm. This ghastly mystery has haunted us all our lives.'
Commander Steve Clayman from The Met previously said officers will search an area where a manure heap once stood, but stressed they had concerns about inconsistencies in Nizamodeen's account.
He said: 'I'd like to thank Muriel's family for their patience while we have taken time to really carefully consider all the information gathered in relation to this case. I know it has been a frustrating time for them.
'We have decided we will carry out a further search at the Hertfordshire farm where it is believed Muriel's remains may be. We carried out an extensive search there in spring 2022 but unfortunately it was unsuccessful.
'Our recent inquiries mean other areas have been highlighted as being of potential interest and it is these we will search.
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)
'The main area is where a manure heap once stood - we know now this was probably larger than we previously thought and therefore that area was not entirely searched in 2022.
'While we have concerns about inconsistences in the account provided by Nizamodeen Hosein, for completeness, we want to do this.
'At this stage we have not set a date for the search to begin, but will keep Muriel's family updated and informed.
'The owners of the farm are fully aware and supportive and we thank them for their continuing help and co-operation.
'We all share a hope and desire to find Muriel's remains and bring some closure to her family after all these years.
'We sincerely hope the search is successful. However, we have informed the family that if Muriel's remains are sadly not found, it would not be proportionate to carry out any further searches or investigations.'
The owners of the farm said in statement released by The Met: 'Our position has been consistent from the very first request of the family of the late Mrs McKay for a dig at our home. We have always said that this is a police matter - they are the experts in investigating evidence and determining its credibility.
'We have at all times provided the police with access to our land and granted permission to dig when requested by them, including when we have not been obliged to do so.
'We agreed to support the decision of the police, whatever it was. They have now made their decision, which we respect, although we understand from the police that this was a finely judged call considering the unreliability of the evidence provided by the murderer.
'In fact, the evidence is insufficient for the police to apply for search warrant. It now means that once this dig is concluded there will be a close to the debate and that no further searches on our land will happen.'
