Detectives investigating the Brink's-Mat robbery spent a third fruitless day on Saturday searching a builders' merchant for stolen gold bullion.

More than 30 officers from New Scotland Yard's Flying Squad have been used to scour a warehouse full of timber and a builders' yard following a tip-off.

The elite detectives spent the past two days using hi-tech scanning equipment to search underneath the concrete floor of the warehouse at Ore, near Hastings, - large enough to store a dozen cars - but found nothing.

They started scouring the second yard at the builders' merchants in Old London Road, Ore, Hastings, on Saturday morning but have still come up empty-handed.

Detective Chief Superintendent John Shatford, leading the investigation, said officers would continue to focus on the builders' merchants.

Mr Shatford said: "It is a long job and we will be here until I am satisfied that it has been conducted thoroughly."

Mr Shatford said no other site was being searched as part of the investigation.

Mr Shatford said landowner Ronald Winchester was co-operating fully with the operation.

He said: "No arrests have been made. There is no evidence that Mr Winchester has committed any offence."

Crowds of locals gathered throughout the day to try and see what was going on.

One local man said: "It's very intriguing. No-one round here can really believe there is millions of pounds of gold buried in the neighbourhood. If anything is found everyone will be very shocked."

More than £26 million of gold and jewels was stolen from the vaults of security firm Brink's-Mat at Heathrow Airport in 1983.

It is believed around £10 million is still outstanding.