Investigators using experimental drone technology have identified two anomalies in a Herefordshire field where serial killer Fred West is believed to have buried victims. The survey focused on Fingerpost Field, near Much Marcle, where the remains of West’s first wife Rena West and Anne McFall were discovered in 1994. The team, led by Tim Whittard, is urging police to excavate the area to provide closure for families of missing girls linked to West.
Whittard described the findings as “emotional” and “shocking,” noting that the anomalies are invisible to the naked eye. “We have got pretty solid evidence that Fred used the fields regularly,” he said. “This cannot be picked up by the naked eye and you wouldn’t see them stood next to them.” The drone survey used different technology from a 2021 documentary that previously identified six potential sites of interest, and appears to corroborate two of those while possibly identifying a seventh.
West, who murdered at least 12 girls and young women, often with his wife Rose, confessed to his son Stephen that he killed Mary Bastholm, a 15-year-old who vanished in 1968. He also told police during questioning there were “another 20 bodies to be found.” West took his own life in prison in 1995 before standing trial, while Rose was convicted of 10 murders and is serving a life sentence. The couple’s crimes at 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester became infamous as the House of Horrors.
Whittard emphasised the need for a full excavation, stating, “Those girls are still missing. They are someone’s sister, girlfriend, daughter. Sure it was a long time ago… but you don’t obliterate it from your mind.” He acknowledged the sensitivity of the case but insisted the search must continue to solve these mysteries. “If we can find even one missing girl it is worth it,” he added.
