Dinah McNicol has not been seen since 1991

Dinah McNicol was 18 when she failed to return to her home in Tillingham, Essex, after a trip to Hampshire.

A forensic search is taking place at a house in Margate, Kent, where remains were found during a dig in the garden.

Police said initial examination had revealed the remains are of a female, but no further details are known.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "It has not been possible at this stage to establish cause of death or ascertain age or time of death - it is too early to say whether the remains are those of Dinah McNicol.

"It may be some days before we are formally able to say whether it is or not, however as well as the human remains some personal effects were discovered.

"We cannot be specific about these but various inquiries are being made as these items are not consistent with the information we have about Dinah."

Hitched a lift

A Scotsman called Peter Tobin formerly lived in the house being searched.

On Tuesday evening Hampshire Police said it was carrying out a "scoping" exercise in relation to Mr Tobin, and was asking other forces for information.

Essex Police announced last week they were reviewing the investigation into Miss McNicol's disappearance.

The force said new information had led them to focus their inquiries on the address in Irvine Drive, Margate.

Police said the investigation had nothing to do with the family currently living at the address.

A forensic archaeology team is searching the garden

Miss McNicol, and a friend, were last seen in a car with a man after hitching a lift following the festival in Liphook, Hampshire, on 3 August 1991.

Officers believe the pair were picked up by a man in a car, who dropped off Miss McNicol's friend at Junction 8 of the M25 near Reigate, Surrey.

The vehicle and the driver were never traced.

At the time of her disappearance, regular withdrawals of cash were made from her building society account at cash points in Hampshire and Sussex.

Miss McNicol's father, Ian McNicol, 68, of Tillingham, said: "Ninety-nine percent of me thinks she has been murdered but there's just that 1% that doesn't know.

"I want to die in peace knowing what happened to my daughter."