Police say they have gone through 6,500 tonnes of waste in search for Corrie Mckeague at Milton landfill lasting 20 weeks.

The search, which began on 6 March 2017, saw police look through rubbish that arrived at the site between 16 September and 3 October.

No trace of the missing RAF airman was found.

The police and crime commissioner for Suffolk, Tim Passmore, says in a statement: "It is extremely sad that the mystery surrounding Corrie's whereabouts has not been resolved.

"My thoughts are with Mrs Urquhart [Corrie's mother] and Mr McKeague and their families; I cannot even begin to understand what they have been going through since their son's disappearance."

Image source, Suffolk Police

Mr Passmore continued: "The officers that have been involved in this search have worked tirelessly for months, in very difficult circumstances.

"I know they will be disappointed not to have found Corrie, but I know that the constabulary has done all it can locate him and I'd like to express my thanks, on behalf of the communities I serve, to them all.

"This is the biggest missing person enquiry that the constabulary has undertaken."

The search of the site at Milton near Cambridge has been "one of the biggest and most complex searches of a landfill site in the country", say police.

"This search process has been reviewed as it has been carried out and what we have learned and the expertise gathered during the search is now being called upon by other constabularies."

Speaking at a press conference earlier this afternoon, Det Supt Katie Elliott said the search for Corrie Mckeague at Milton landfill site had been very thorough.

Image source, Suffolk Police

She said: "The investigation behind-the-scenes hasn't stood still while the search has been carried out, but all the information we have still points to the fact that Corrie was transported from the 'horseshoe' area in the bin lorry.

"Having been through all of the possibilities in detail, there is nothing to support any theory other than that Corrie was in the bin.

"There are no further sightings of him on CCTV to suggest he left the area and we have explored the other possibilities as to how he left - such as being taken from the area by someone - and there is no evidence to support that this is the case.

"We know that Corrie's phone travelled away from Bury St Edmunds at the same time as the bin lorry that collected waste from Brentgovel Street.

"The theory that Corrie was in the bin that was emptied into the bin lorry shortly after he was last seen is strengthened by credible information that we have obtained through our enquiries, that Corrie had been known to go to sleep in rubbish following a night out.

"We've explored every other reasonable hypothesis - and there is nothing to support any other explanation."

Image source, Chris Radburn

• Search called off from 15:00 today
• Police contacted Milton landfill site near Cambridge on Monday, 3 October 2016 - a week after Corrie was reported missing, with search of the site beginning on 6 March 2017
• 6,500 tonnes of waste sifted through in "unprecedented search" lasting 20 weeks - about a 14th of the whole amount of waste the site accepts in a year
• No trace of missing RAF airman or any trace of his clothing or mobile phone
• Items including newspapers and other material from September 2016, when Corrie went missing, have been found - including those that indicate they have come from Bury St Edmunds
• Several mobile phones, footwear and items of clothing have been found and each one of these items has been checked to ensure it did not belong to Corrie
• "All the work we have carried out, particularly around the weight of the bin lorry collection, points to Corrie being taken to the landfill site," say police
• "The search has been complex, systematic, thorough and comprehensive. Throughout the process the work being completed has been reviewed by national experts."

The story of the young airman who vanished on a night out baffled the nation - what happened to Corrie Mckeague?

The search for Corrie Mckeague has taken place over two counties - Suffolk, where he went missing, and Cambridgeshire, where it is suspected he ended up.

He was a gunner at RAF Honington and went missing after a night out in Bury St Edmunds - the nearest big town.

It is believed he fell asleep in a bin and the refuse lorry took him to Milton landfill site, near Cambridge, 28 miles away.

Police confirm that the search for missing RAF airman Corrie Mckeague is to be ended.

Det Supt Katie Elliott explained the reason for calling off the search of the landfill site at Milton for Corrie Mckeague, saying: "We have searched over 6,500 tonnes of waste, excavating a huge area.

"Without anything further to tell us where he might be on such a vast site the search cannot continue.

"Officers have been finding items such as newspapers and other material that have September 2016 dates on them.

"This is the time that Corrie went missing.

"Some items have been clearly identifiable as coming from Bury St Edmunds and this has confirmed that we have been searching in the right place, however none of these items have had any link to Corrie.

"We have also found items such as mobile phones, footwear and clothing and each one of these items has been checked to ensure it did not belong to Corrie.

"We have completed the search of the area where we know waste was deposited in this period.

"In fact, we have searched an area that is larger than was originally designated.

"The work was initially extended to include areas containing additional waste dated in the correct time-frame and was further extended in response to new information regarding the location of further relevant waste.

"Sadly, we have not found Corrie or any trace of his clothing or mobile phone."

Image source, Suffolk Police

And that's it... we'll bring you a round-up very shortly.

"It's never been about money this investigation," the conference hears.

"I don't suspect that it must be foul play... all the evidence at this time points to Corrie being in that bin lorry going to the landfill site," police say.

Police say they have commissioned a review of the work completed since the start of the investigation to see if anything further can be done to trace Corrie Mckeague.

"We remain open-minded and should this review reveal further lines of enquiry that will help us find Corrie we will pursue them vigorously."

Image source, Paper Pix

Police say they've been "absolutely committed to finding Corrie and none of us wanted to be in this position, where we are unable to provide the answer".

• Police say the search at Milton landfill is set to be completed this afternoon
• Search is in its 20th week - 10 weeks longer than first planned
• The search was directed by information and intelligence found by police
• Waste from the correct timeframe of Corrie's disappearance has been found at the site - with some waste indicating that it had come from Bury St Edmunds
• Over 6,500 tonnes of waste searched
• Police ended up searching a bigger area than was first intended
• "All information points to Corrie being at Milton landfill and there is nothing to support any theory other than Corrie was in the bin," say police

Det Supt Katie Elliott says officers carrying out the search have been working extremely hard "in difficult circumstances".

Police say £1.2m has been spent on the investigation.

The police investigation has continued away from the landfill site while the search has been taking place, the conference hears.

Nothing to support any theory other than that Corrie was transported away from Bury St Edmunds in the bin lorry.

No trace of Corrie, his clothing or mobile phone, police say.