UPDATE: Man charged with murder
A Swindon man has been charged with the murder of Sian O'Callaghan
WILTSHIRE police charged 47-year-old Christopher John Halliwell, of Ashbury Avenue, Swindon, with the murder of Swindon woman Sian O'Callaghan last night (Saturday).
Miss O'Callaghan, aged 22, was reported missing last Saturday morning (March 19) and her body was found on Thursday near Uffington, Oxfordshire.
Her disappearance had initially sparked a major search of Savernake Forest, near Hungerford, Wiltshire involving hundreds of police and local villagers.
Mr Halliwell was charged with her murder last night, at 9.20pm, and remains in police custody at Gablecross Police Station in Swindon.
He is due to appear before Swindon Magistrates Court tomorrow morning (Monday).
Simon Brenchley, District Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, Wiltshire, said: "I have been working closely with Wiltshire Police and now have authorised them to charge Christopher Halliwell with Sian O'Callaghan's murder.
"Having reviewed the evidence, I am satisfied that there is sufficient to charge him, and that it is in the public interest to do so."
UPDATE: 12.35pm:
Det Supt Steve Fulcher, of Wiltshire Police, has announced that bones recovered from the site at Eastleach in Gloucestershire, where police have also been searching for a second body since Friday, March 25, are believed to be that of a young woman with an estimated age of between 23 and 30 years.
He said today: "It has been indicated to me that this young woman was taken from the Swindon area between 2003 and 2005.
“The remains will now be subject of further forensic laboratory tests and a post mortem examination.
"The inquiry team are liaising with the National Policing Improvement Agency's Serious Crime Analysis Section and the national DNA database in connection with the bones recovered from Eastleach."
The police search at the site is expected to continue for the time being.
He added: "I would repeat my appeal for anyone out 'lamping' or poaching in the Ramsbury area at anytime from 3am on Saturday, March 19, to contact the force with any information they might have about suspicious activity in the area, a green Toyota Avensis estate car or persons in the area around that time.
"I would stress again that I only want information from you that is relevant to the Sian O'Callaghan inquiry. We are not interested in prosecuting anyone for lamping or poaching."
He urged any potential witnesses to contact Wiltshire Police on 0845 408 7000 with any information, no matter how trivial it may seem. Alternatively, people can contact CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 and leave information anonymously.
"Whilst we will make every effort to identify the second person as soon as possible if you are concerned about someone who is missing, the charity Missing People offers a specialist support service for families and relatives of missing people and for the 250,000 people who go missing each year in the UK," added Det Supt Fulcher.
More information is available at the Missing People website www.missingpeople.org.uk/help. The charity also operates a 24 hour confidential Freephone helpline on 0500 700 700.
