A HUMAN bone has been discovered in a field near Fairford by police investigating the death of a murdered Swindon woman.

Specialist forensic officers from Wiltshire police made the discovery on Thursday (April 10) at Baxter’s Farm Eastleach, the site where Becky Godden-Edwards body was discovered in 2011.

Yesterday the site was being manned by a police guard to protect the investigation and land surveyor was also present.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “As part of the reinvestigation into Becky Godden-Edwards murder, investigators have been at Becky’s burial site, a field in Eastleach, Gloucestershire.

“While at this location on April 10, a bone, believed to be human, has been discovered in the vicinity of Becky’s grave. Further identification work will be undertaken regarding this.

“Detective Chief Inspector Sean Memory is the new senior investigating officer.

“He has taken over the case in recent months and has undertaken a review."

The spokesman added it could take several weeks before the new evidence is identified and it was not clear how significant it could be.

Ms Godden-Edwards (21) disappeared between the end of 2002 and early 2003.

Her body was found at Baxters farm after Swindon Taxi driver Christopher Halliwell, 48, led officers there following his arrest of over the disappearance of another Swindon woman, Sian O'Callaghan.

Halliwell confessed murdering Ms Godden-Edwards who police forensic officers say had been lying in a shallow grave for at least five years following her disappearance in 2003.

But the charge against Halliwell was dropped after High Court judge Mrs Justice Laura Cox who said methods used to obtain the confession breached the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

He was later found guilty of murdering Ms O'Callaghan and was sentenced to life imprisonment.