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Around 100 people joined a search for missing RAF airman Corrie McKeague yesterday (Sunday, January 22), but failed to find any trace of him.

His mother, Nicola Urquhart, organised the public search off the A11 at Barton Mills, near Newmarket, with Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue (SULSAR).

The head of the organisation, which specialises in searching for missing people, has told the News they are now working on the theory that Corrie could have been hit by a vehicle and his body disposed of.

The 23-year-old has been missing since September 24 last year after a night out in Bury St Edmunds.

Police traced his phone signal to Barton Mills, but it has not been located.

Nicola said: “This area here at Barton Mills is where Corrie’s phone ‘pinged’ off the mast and this is the one bit of evidence we’ve been given.

“If he was to trying to get back to Honington [RAF Honington, where he was based] he’s got to walk through the woods that we’re going to be searching.”

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Nicola and Corrie’s brother Darroch were joined by 40 volunteers and search experts from across four countries.

The group split into 15 teams to search five square miles.

Five cadaver dogs, a drone team and 14 specialist 4x4s took part in the search, which was paid for through crowdfunding.

The eight hour search of fields, woodlands and tracks failed to find any trace of Corrie, but Nicola was still hopeful.

She said: “Corrie has not been found, which is good. I know SULSAR would like to find him, but for me it means there’s still a chance – he’s still out there.”

Andy King, chairman of Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue, who headed up the team, said: “We’re now looking at areas that if something had happened to Corrie and there was foul play and you had to get rid of him, put him in the back of a car, these are areas where you could discreetly park up and dispose of a body reasonably easily.

“We all know we’re looking for a body, the family know we’re looking for a body, it doesn’t make it any easier.”

He added: “We want to find Corrie because we want to give the family closure,” he added.

The last sighting shows Corrie walking from a shop doorway and into a horseshoe-shaped area in Brentgovel Street, Bury St Edmunds, with no sign of him emerging.

“We have no idea what’s happened to Corrie after he got out of the horseshoe or even how he got out of the horseshoe,” said Mr King.

“We’re working on the theory that he’s been hit by a vehicle and somebody has panicked and rather than taking him to hospital somebody has disposed of the body.”

Last week, Nicola revealed that Corrie was a member of hook-up website, Fab Swingers. Police are investigating if his use of the website is linked to his disappearance.