WATCH: Police divers search Fens river in hunt for suspected murder victim

A specialist dive team from Nottinghamshire police have been working with their Cambridgeshire colleagues today (Saturday) in the search for a missing woman, believed to have been murdered. The team of divers – one of only 11 specialist units in the country – is often on standby to assist with searches across the East Midlands and beyond.

Today detectives probing the ‘no body’ suspected murder of Julie Buckley of Christchurch near March requested help from the dive team to carry out a river search near the woman’s home.

The specialist divers set up alongside the 16ft Foot drain between Upwell and March to begin their search.

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The unit is made up of regular officers who are based on different teams across the force and volunteer for the unit on a part-time basis as well as their normal duties.

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They’ll come from all different areas such as response, intelligence, roads, and tactical support groups.

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Nottingham police say: “This job isn’t for the fainthearted though – with the physical demand on fitness levels, having to pass a police fitness test as well as a yearly diving medical, and training in open water every fortnight.

“The role means sometimes our divers can be underwater for hours, with barely any visibility, relying on their teammates, their instincts, and training to find that one missing piece of evidence.”

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In an interview last year one of the officers who has worked on the dive team for nearly 20 years said: “It’s a great team to be a part of and the best part is when you find that missing evidence.

“Sometimes it can be something so small, and you and the team have been scraping the bottom of a river or lake with just your fingertips if the visibility is low, and you find it.

“There’s such a sense of achievement and to know that could be all we need to charge someone with a murder the hours searching in all the kit and underwater are worth it.”

The dive team has spent much of the day alongside the 16ft conducting searches to help clear up the mystery of what has happened to Julie Buckle.

Their efforts were filmed by a team from Channel 4 ’24 Hours in Police Custody’ who are likely to feature the case in a later episode.

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Suspected murder victim Julie Buckley, 54, of Christchurch near March  has not been since late January

A 47-year-old man from Christchurch remains under arrest on suspicion of murder.

“Detectives are concerned enough about her welfare to treat her disappearance as a murder,” said a Cambridgeshire police spokesperson.

“Police continue to carry out enquiries and searches today to find Julie and determine the circumstances around why she is missing.”

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Detectives from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, who are investigating, declared the case a no-body murder investigation yesterday.

Detective Inspector Richard Stott said: “We are trying to piece together Julie’s movements before she disappeared so I would appeal for anyone who has seen her in the past few weeks to get in touch.

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“We know she has links to places in the surrounding area including March, Manea, and Chatteris so I would urge people who live in those areas to consider if they have information that could be of use to our inquiry.

“We are in touch with family of Julie and specially trained officers are keeping them up to date on the police inquiry at this very difficult time.

“Although we have always wanted to find Julie alive, the circumstances suggest she is likely to have come to serious harm, so we continue to treat her disappearance as murder.”

Anyone with information should contact the investigation team via our dedicated portal here https://mipp.police.uk/operation/35SA020125C04-PO1

Anyone without internet access should call 101 and quote Operation Dragonfish.

Two bungalows – eight miles apart – have been sealed off by police after launching the murder probe.

Detectives from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit declared the case a ‘no-body’ murder investigation yesterday (Friday).

Detective Inspector Richard Stott said: “Concern was raised for the woman last night (Thursday) and due to the length of time since she was last seen and concerns that she may have come to some harm, we are treating this as a murder investigation.”

Bungalows in the village of Christchurch and the town of March are being searched, and police remain outside both.

Cambridgeshire police initially turned their attention to the bungalow in Christchurch on Friday after the woman who lived there was reported missing.

Later, after it was announced by Cambridgeshire police it was now a ‘no-body- murder inquiry, the second bungalow in March became the focus of their attention. It, too, has been secured with police tape.

Neighbours said they had not seen the woman for a while as Cambridgeshire police announced an arrest had been made.

Police taped off the missing woman’s house in Christchurch near March, Cambridgeshire, on Friday. Police cars were seen both at the back and front of the house and police tape circles the garden.

“The woman from Christchurch, who is in her 50s, has not been seen since late January and police have been carrying out enquiries and searches but so far to no avail,” said a spokesperson for Cambridgeshire police.

“Detectives are concerned enough about her welfare to treat her disappearance as a murder.”