Cops hunting missing Margaret Costen for 20 years comb woodland in latest twist
The teacher vanished in 1997 while being treated as a voluntary inpatient at a psychiatric hospital
COLD case cops are combing woodland for clues over the disappearance of a woman who vanished almost 20 years ago.
Former teacher Margaret Costen was last seen leaving the grounds of a hospital and wandering into a nearby wooded area on February 23, 1997.
Cold case detectives have now renewed the investigation and will spend two weeks searching the area using modern techniques and police dogs.
Extensive searches of the woodland area in Pembury were made at the time she disappeared but nothing was ever found.
Margaret had been voluntary inpatient at Pembury Hospital, now renamed Tunbridge Wells Hospital, when she vanished.
Local reports from the time say she was wearing a blue tracksuit and had collar-length blonde hair when she went missing.
It is also reported she had just £5 in her pocket.
Inspector Ray Quiller, from Kent Police, said: "It has been a very long time since Margaret was reported missing and these woodland searches will about trying to find any evidence or clues which will help us understand what happened to her.
"Kent Police periodically reviews files around missing people and a review of this incident has led us to believe that by using modern search techniques and expertise we have an opportunity to survey areas Margaret may have walked through with more accuracy than ever before.
"Over the next two weeks we will be assisted by our colleagues at the Metropolitan Police, who will be bringing with them specialist detection dogs.
"If it is the case that Margaret walked away from the hospital and unfortunately didn't find her way out of the woodland we are searching, these dogs are trained to lead us to any existing human remains."
Officers are also continuing efforts to trace any possible surviving relatives of Margaret and any family or friends are asked to get in touch.
Last month, cold case cops announced they were still treating the death of a tragic dad at Michael Barrymore's home as murder.
Stuart Lubbock’s lifeless body was found in Barrymore’s swimming pool 15 years ago, and police have made a fresh call for information.
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