Fred West police search Gloucester café for Mary Bastholm
- Published
Police are searching for a body at a cafe in Gloucester linked to a missing girl feared to have been murdered by the serial killer Fred West.
Mary Bastholm, 15, went missing on 6 January 1968 and has not been found.
Officers were called to The Clean Plate cafe on Friday by filmmakers working on a documentary. Fred West was a regular customer when Mary worked at the site.
The film crew told police they had found evidence that a body could be buried within the property.
Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden of Gloucestershire Police said: "This could be a significant development on a case which has gained a lot of public interest over the years.
"On the basis of the information provided to us, we consider this to be new and potentially important evidence in the case of Mary Bastholm, however further detailed assessments will take place over the following few days to determine the extent of excavation needed.
"First and foremost our thoughts are with Mary's family and we would ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time."
A white tent was set up outside the property in Southgate Street earlier and officers have been stationed outside the building.
The cafe is close to Cromwell Street where officers found the bodies of West's other victims.
It was previously called the Pop Up and Mary was known to have served him.
Now called the Clean Plate, it is owned by a women's charity, The Nelson Trust, whose spokesman said: "As soon as we were made aware of the situation, we have done everything we can to accommodate the investigation.
"The Clean Plate will remain closed until all necessary activity is complete. "It is an extraordinary twist of fate that this building, now associated with a story as tragic as that of the victims of Fred and Rosemary West, is part of a charity working to support women at risk from violence."
In 2012, a petition was set up calling for a fresh investigation into Mary's disappearance but it was rejected by the then Chief Constable Tony Melville.
In 1994 Fred West admitted murdering his daughter Heather.
The confession came as police began to search 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, where they found the bodies of nine girls and young women.
He and his wife Rose were jointly charged with nine murders and he was charged with a further three.
He took his own life while awaiting the murder trial the following year.