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| Home search in Vicky murder probe | Home search in Vicky murder probe |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A search of the former home of killer Peter Tobin has begun as part of the police inquiry into the disappearance of Vicky Hamilton 16 years ago. | A search of the former home of killer Peter Tobin has begun as part of the police inquiry into the disappearance of Vicky Hamilton 16 years ago. |
| The 15-year-old was last seen waiting for a bus in Bathgate, West Lothian. | The 15-year-old was last seen waiting for a bus in Bathgate, West Lothian. |
| Tobin, who is serving 21 years for the murder of Polish student Angelika Kluk in Glasgow in 2006, lived in the town at about the time Vicky disappeared. | Tobin, who is serving 21 years for the murder of Polish student Angelika Kluk in Glasgow in 2006, lived in the town at about the time Vicky disappeared. |
| The property's current residents have been moved out while forensic teams carry out the search. | The property's current residents have been moved out while forensic teams carry out the search. |
| Officers are using specially trained police dogs that can detect minute traces of blood even if they are decades old. | Officers are using specially trained police dogs that can detect minute traces of blood even if they are decades old. |
| Divers are also searching an area of water in a nearby nature reserve. | Divers are also searching an area of water in a nearby nature reserve. |
| Clearly there has been a considerable time elapsed since Vicky Hamilton went missing Supt Brian Doneghan | Clearly there has been a considerable time elapsed since Vicky Hamilton went missing Supt Brian Doneghan |
| Vicky disappeared in 1991 while making a journey from Livingston to her home near Falkirk. | Vicky disappeared in 1991 while making a journey from Livingston to her home near Falkirk. |
| She had changed buses in Bathgate and was last seen standing at a bus stop in the town. | She had changed buses in Bathgate and was last seen standing at a bus stop in the town. |
| The case was reopened in November after it emerged that Tobin had lived in the Falside area of the town. | The case was reopened in November after it emerged that Tobin had lived in the Falside area of the town. |
| He was jailed for murdering Ms Kluk in September last year. Tobin raped and stabbed the student before dumping her body underneath St Patrick's Church in Anderston. | He was jailed for murdering Ms Kluk in September last year. Tobin raped and stabbed the student before dumping her body underneath St Patrick's Church in Anderston. |
| Lothian and Borders Police said it was anticipated that the search operation would continue at the house in Robertson Avenue for at least two weeks. | Lothian and Borders Police said it was anticipated that the search operation would continue at the house in Robertson Avenue for at least two weeks. |
| Supt Brian Doneghan said: "Clearly there has been a considerable time elapsed since Vicky Hamilton went missing and it's incumbent on us to use methodologies which allow us to satisfy ourselves as to whether or not she was ever in that house. | Supt Brian Doneghan said: "Clearly there has been a considerable time elapsed since Vicky Hamilton went missing and it's incumbent on us to use methodologies which allow us to satisfy ourselves as to whether or not she was ever in that house. |
| "The house has been occupied by different families over that period of time. We are using methods to make sure their traces are eliminated and we are attempting to ascertain if there is any trace of Vicky Hamilton within the house." | "The house has been occupied by different families over that period of time. We are using methods to make sure their traces are eliminated and we are attempting to ascertain if there is any trace of Vicky Hamilton within the house." |
| Divers search a nature reserve near Tobin's former home | |
| He added: "Anybody will leave traces of themselves, whether it is DNA, fingerprints or fibres from clothing so we have a number of experts on board within the police service. | He added: "Anybody will leave traces of themselves, whether it is DNA, fingerprints or fibres from clothing so we have a number of experts on board within the police service. |
| "We also have experts from academic institutes and private industry who have experience in this sort of search and they are advising us on the best places to look." | "We also have experts from academic institutes and private industry who have experience in this sort of search and they are advising us on the best places to look." |
| Dr Adrian Linacre, from the Centre of Forensic Science at Strathclyde University, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that the task facing the police was very difficult. | Dr Adrian Linacre, from the Centre of Forensic Science at Strathclyde University, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that the task facing the police was very difficult. |
| He said: "Like in all cases such as this you're looking for any evidence that might support an abduction, a fight, a struggle of any description. | He said: "Like in all cases such as this you're looking for any evidence that might support an abduction, a fight, a struggle of any description. |
| "So you're looking for body fluids, hairs that might have been left at the time. | "So you're looking for body fluids, hairs that might have been left at the time. |
| "Here we're looking at something that was 16 years ago so that makes it incredibly difficult." | "Here we're looking at something that was 16 years ago so that makes it incredibly difficult." |
| Dr Linacre said more sensitive tests could find fluids like blood at very low levels, but even if any traces were found the relevance would still have to be decided. | Dr Linacre said more sensitive tests could find fluids like blood at very low levels, but even if any traces were found the relevance would still have to be decided. |