'Milk Carton Kids' search: Brother digs at Solihull site

David Spencer (left) and Paddy Warren have not been seen since Boxing Day 1996

The brother of a boy missing for 25 years is searching for his remains after a tip-off.

Patrick Warren and his friend David Spencer, aged 11 and 13, vanished from Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, in 1996.

What happened to them remains a mystery and, although a suspect was named, nobody has ever been charged.

Police have urged people not to join the dig on land in Solihull and instead leave any searches to trained specialists.

David's brother Lee O'Toole accused West Midlands Police of not doing enough to find the boys and said he had decided to take matters into his own hands.

"The community is doing what the police should do," Mr O'Toole said.

He said a man had contacted him directly to say he had seen a man digging in a field off Damson Wood Lane, near Solihull Moors Football Club, at the time of the boys' disappearance.

"Apparently he's been telling the police for years and they've never acted on it," Mr O'Toole said.

"I don't know what more police need... they've left me no choice other than to put the shovel in the ground."

People are digging on land in Solihull in the hope of finding the boys' remains

Patrick and David disappeared on Boxing Day, 26 December. They became known as the "Milk Carton Kids" as the first children to appear on milk cartons as part of a campaign by the National Missing Persons Helpline.

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Despite the publicity, no major leads emerged until 2006 when convicted murderer Brian Field - who lived nearby at the time - was identified as a prime suspect.

He denied involvement and there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

There has been speculation about whether the boys' working class backgrounds affected how their disappearance was treated

Mr O'Toole is not the first to criticise the police's handling of the case and the West Midlands force said it understood "there are many frustrations and a lack of trust around the initial investigation and the many reviews carried out since".

However, officers urged people not to join the dig and said it should be left to "trained specialist experts".

Mr O'Toole said the community would continue the search. "I've been waiting for them for how many years now?" he said.

He said people would be at the site for "as long as it takes", searching the field each evening.