No traces of missing Scottish airman Corrie McKeague have been found after a major search through a landfill site.

The RAF gunner from Dunfermline in Fife vanished after a night out with friends in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, near where he was stationed last year.

After a wide-ranging search for the 23-year-old failed to find any trace of him, police began to dig through a landfill site in Milton, Cambridgeshire.

Officers confirmed on Friday that no evidence could be found in relation to Mr McKeague.

Police still believe Corrie was in a bin that was emptied into a lorry and taken to the site.

Suffolk Police detective superintendent Katie Elliott said officers sifted through 6500 tonnes of waste in an "unprecedented" search.

She said: "Our thoughts are with Corrie's family as we had hoped that this search would have provided them with the answers about what happened to him.

"Sadly we have not found Corrie or any trace of his clothing or mobile phone."

A bin lorry was seen on CCTV near Brentgovel Street in the town around the time Mr McKeague was last seen, and it took a route which appeared to coincide with the movements of his phone.

The vehicle linked to the disappearance of Mr McKeague was initially thought to have collected an 11kg load but police said it was later found to be more than 100kg.

Officers started searching the landfill in early March and police said it has cost more than £1.2m to date.

The decision to spend the money was defended by police.

Ms Elliot added: "It has never been about money in this investigation.

"We have searched the areas where we have information where that waste was deposited.

"Beyond that it's very difficult to establish exactly where we would search for Corrie."

She continued: "The investigation behind the scenes has not stood still while the search has been carried out but all the information we have still points to the fact that Corrie was transported from the 'horseshoe' area in the bin lorry.

"Having been through all of the possibilities in detail, there is nothing to support any theory other than that Corrie was in the bin.

"There are no further sightings of him on CCTV to suggest he left the area and we have explored the other possibilities as to how he left, such as being taken from the area by someone, and there is no evidence to support that this is the case."

She added: "On CCTV he appears to be alone and we have traced and spoken to everyone who walked through Brentgovel Street around the relevant time, and none of them have seen anything suspicious.

"We know that Corrie's phone travelled away from Bury St Edmunds at the same time as the bin lorry that collected waste from Brentgovel Street.

"The theory that Corrie was in the bin that was emptied into the bin lorry shortly after he was last seen is strengthened by credible information that we have obtained through our enquiries that Corrie had been known to go to sleep in rubbish following a night out.

"We have explored every other reasonable hypotheses and there is nothing to support any other explanation."