Fred West: No human remains found in Gloucester cafe search for suspected victim Mary Bastholm

No ‘items of significance’ found in excavation at teenager’s former workplace, police say

No human remains have been found during the search of a Gloucester cafe for Mary Bastholm, a suspected victim of serial killer Fred West, according to police.

An excavation at The Clean Plate began last week in connection with the teenager’s disappearance more than five decades ago.

Mary used to work at the Pop-In Cafe on the same site on Southgate Street in Gloucester, where West was a regular customer.

The cafe sits less than two miles away from the bus stop where the 15-year-old was last seen in 1968.

Gloucester Police said on Thursday that excavation work at the cafe in the search for her body had been completed.

“We can confirm no human remains or items of significance to the investigation have been found,” the force spokesperson said.

They added: “Mary’s family has been updated and is continuing to receive support from family liaison officers.”

Gloucestershire Police began excavation work after possible evidence emerged that Mary could be buried at the cafe where she used to work, which was called the Pop-In Cafe at the time.

A TV production company handed police a photo of what appeared to be blue material buried in an area of the cafe’s cellar. Mary was wearing blue clothing when she went missing.

Forensic archaeologists also said there were a number of structural anomalies in the cellar, including six voids in the floor, that were being examined

The Gloucester Police spokesperson said: “Digging to access and examine six areas of interest, or ‘anomalies’, in the cellar area began last Wednesday.

“The anomalies were identified by a team of expert forensic archaeologists and anthropologists ahead of the excavation work, with the experts able to determine that the remaining areas of the cellar had been undisturbed since prior to 1968, when Mary Bastholm disappeared.”

West, along with his wife Rose, tortured, raped and murdered an unknown number of women over a 20-year period.

Mary disappeared at a time when builder West was abducting girls in Gloucester.

He is said to have confessed to killing Mary in conversation with his son, Stephen, but never admitted it to police.

Additional reporting by Press Association