Sussex Police search for Jason Martin-Smith's body stood down

Jason Martin-Smith disappeared in August, 2001, in Hastings, aged 28.

Mr Martin-Smith’s body has never been found and officers recently began searching land near Marley Lane, Battle, after a “viable” tip off.

But Sussex Police said despite meticulous searches involving specialist teams, no evidence of the body has been found.

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Detective Inspector Simon Dunn, senior investigating officer, said: “This was always going to be an incredibly complex task, given the nature of the area and the time that has passed since the victim’s death.

“Despite these challenges, we conducted a really thorough search involving experienced staff working at the site over a number of days, but unfortunately this hasn’t yielded any results.

“I’d like to thank the local community and businesses in the area for the support they have shown and for their patience and understanding while the searches were ongoing.

“The victim’s family have been updated and we will continue to explore any viable lines of enquiry that may help to tell us the whereabouts of the victim’s body.”