Family of murdered woman 'blocked' from yard search

Muriel McKay was married to Alick McKay, deputy to Rupert Murdoch, and was kidnapped after being mistaken for Mr Murdoch's then-wife

The family of a woman who was kidnapped for ransom in 1969 said they were "being blocked" from locating her body after "new evidence" emerged.

Muriel McKay was held hostage at Rooks Farm in Hertfordshire by two brothers who were later jailed for her murder – although no body was ever found.

After putting up a £1m reward in June, the family received new information suggesting her body was buried behind a shop in east London which had links to the criminal underworld at the time.

The McKay family wants to conduct "a simple ground scan" of the yard, but claimed they were being denied access by some of the leaseholders.

"This could finally be the breakthrough that ends 55 years of desperation and pain," said the family, who have been working to find Mrs McKay's remains after speaking to one of her killers.

Nizamodeen Hosein told Mrs McKay's daughter Dianne that he had buried her body at Rooks Farm, but three searches of the grounds proved fruitless.

Muriel's family now believe her body was moved from Rooks Farm, where she was held hostage, to Bethnal Green in London

A £1m reward for information brought forward "the most credible and chilling evidence we've seen in half a century", according to Mrs McKay's grandson Mark Dyer.

A brother and sister revealed their late father ran a tailor's shop in Bethnal Green, where Arthur Hosein worked.

Their father was mixed up with London's criminal gangs – including the Kray twins – and made a deathbed confession, they said.

He feared Hosein and another man had hidden a body in the yard behind his shop and described smelling a "foul stench" one night.

He believed the captors had realised Rooks Farm was being watched, so they moved Mrs McKay's body to the site in Bethnal Green.

Arthur Hosein, left, worked at a tailor's shop in Bethnal Green and the tailor had also visited Rooks Farm

Mr Dyer said: "These witnesses have no interest in reward or publicity - they simply want to unburden themselves and help us find our mother."

He said the pair had given the same information to the Metropolitan Police in 2023, but detectives had not informed the McKay family, or followed up the lead.

"Had officers acted then, they would have discovered that the telephone box used for the ransom call was positioned directly opposite this shop," said Mr Dyer.

"The female witness said 'If the police had told you about my contact with them in 2023, you'd have your mother back by now'," he added.

Mrs McKay pictured with her grandson Mark, who has been leading family efforts to recover her remains

The McKay family say they want surveyors to carry out "a non-invasive ground penetrating radar scan" of the yard.

They said it would be a simple process taking a few hours, "with no digging or disruption".

But permission has not been given by all of the leaseholders or freeholders, so the family is now seeking a court injunction.

"We're not asking for excavation or intrusion - just a few hours of scanning to confirm the truth," the family said.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "Our thoughts remain with Muriel's family.

"Our investigation into the death of Muriel McKay involved extensive enquiries, including searches in 2022 and 2024."