Image caption It is exactly 24 years since Arlene Arkinson disappeared after a disco across the Irish border

The family of the murdered schoolgirl Arlene Arkinson have asked for more information about bodies in a grave exhumed during the search for her.

The 15-year-old went missing in 1994.

Earlier this year, Gardaí (Irish police) exhumed a grave in County Sligo but said a body taken from the plot was not the missing schoolgirl.

Her family said they have been told there were more bodies in the grave than expected and are now demanding to know if they too were examined.

On the 24th anniversary of Arlene's disappearance, her elder sister Kathleen Arkinson has released a statement asking Gardaí to provide more information and "co-operate" with the long-running inquest into her death.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), at the request of the Coroner's office, have also asked Gardai for more details on the exhumation.

'Unidentified body'

Arlene was from Castlederg in County Tyrone, but on the night she disappeared she had attended a disco across the Irish border in County Donegal.

The PSNI are treating Arlene's disappearance as murder, even though her body has never been found.

Image caption Arlene was last seen in the company of convicted child killer Robert Howard, who died in 2015

Earlier this year, her family were given fresh hope after reports that, two years after Arlene disappeared, gravediggers had found an unidentified body in a grave in Sligo.

However, in June Arlene's inquest was told the exhumed body was that of a man.

On Tuesday, Kathleen Arkinson released a statement through her solicitor asking for more information on the contents of the exhumed plot.

"We would like the Garda to please confirm the exact number of bodies in that grave and if they were all examined," her letter stated.

That is a question that the coroner in Belfast also wants answered and he has asked the PSNI to seek more information from the Gardaí.

'Suspicion and rumour'

In her letter, Kathleen Arkinson explained that her family was now in the 11th year of the inquest into her young sister's death and were finding it difficult to continue with the process.

"We hold much reservation and doubt in relation to the recent events involving An Garda Síochána," her letter said.

"Before the inquest resumes on the 4 September 2018, we would also like An Garda Síochána to explain what provoked the exhumation that they say they did carry out.

"We request that An Garda Síochána co-operate with Arlene's inquest and the lawyers acting for the coroner, in order ultimately to assist us and allay the suspicion and rumour we are dealing with on a daily basis in relation to Arlene's remains."

During the hearing in June, Coroner Brian Sherrard said he understood that four bodies were recorded as being buried in the grave where the exhumation took place.

However, he said, he needed to know if the body that "appears to have been buried in an unconventional manner" was in fact a fifth body in the same grave.

He adjourned the inquest until September, saying he needed to get clarification from Irish police on a number of matters.

In an email to the Gardaí, the PSNI asked a number of questions including:

Whether there were four or five bodies in the grave exhumed?

How many were forensically examined?

What information led to the grave being exhumed in March?

According to the Arkinson family, the Gardaí were asked to provide the answers before September.

It is not clear if a response has been received by the PSNI.

On the night she disappeared, Arlene was last seen in the company of convicted child killer Robert Howard, who died in 2015.

He was acquitted of Arlene's murder, but remains the prime suspect in the case.