Missing Corrie Mckeague: Fund for private investigator raises £15k

A crowdfunding campaign was set up after Nicola Urquhart criticised the police

A crowdfunding campaign to hire a private investigator in the search for a missing serviceman has raised more than £15,000 in less than a day.

Corrie Mckeague, from Dunfermline, has been missing since a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on 24 September.

His mother Nicola Urquhart said she had "no faith" the police would find her son.

More than 1,300 people have pledged towards the fund. The organiser said people "are desperate to help".

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The Just Giving page was set up by Cheryl Hickman, who runs The Bull Inn where Nicola Urquhart has been staying

The JustGiving page was set up by Cheryl Hickman, who runs The Bull Inn at Barton Mills where Mrs Urquhart has been staying since her son went missing.

She set it up at 21:30 GMT on Tuesday with a fundraising target of £20,000. More than £15,000 had been raised by 15:30 GMT on Wednesday.

Miss Hickman said: "I fully expected we would raise the money at some point but I had no idea how quickly.

"We had raised £10,000 by the time we went to bed and people were messaging me to say the site had crashed."

Corrie Mckeague went missing after a night out in Bury St Edmunds

The funding bid for a private investigator was set up after Mrs Urquhart questioned Suffolk Police resources.

She said police had "behaved in a way" which had "absolutely destroyed" her belief that they are "competent and they know what they're doing".

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Louisa Pepper said she was confident in her team of officers.

She said the force was using an "inordinate" amount of resources in the hunt for Mr Mckeague.

Corrie Mckeague was last seen on CCTV walking alone and eating fast food in Brentgovel Street, Bury St Edmunds, at about 03:20 BST.

A five-figure reward for information on his whereabouts has been offered by his grandparents.

Corrie Mckeague was last seen walking alone in Bury St Edmunds