A MAJOR police investigation is underway to find the body of a missing Middlesbrough teenager who has not been seen for 20 years.

A patch of wasteland in the Saltersgill area of the town has been cleared before specialist staff carry out an excavation of the former allotment site as the search continues for Donna Keogh continues.

The 17-year-old disappeared in May, 1998, and her body has never been found.

The circumstances surrounding Donna’s disappearance led Cleveland Police to the conclusion that she was murdered within a short period of time after her last known sighting in mid-April that year.

In 2016, following an independent review of the original police investigation, the force launched Operation Resolute, a newly formed enquiry committed to establishing exactly what happened to the teenager.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Green said investigations were also being carried out at other sites in the town.

He said: “As part of our re-investigation we looked to retrace our steps as to what previous investigations have told us. So far it’s given us some areas of specific interest.

“First of those is to search land at Troon Close, in Middlesbrough. The area, we believe, is formerly an area of allotments. They’ve been in a state of disrepair for some years.

“Initially this will involve clearing the foliage, and later an excavation of land behind it.

“This is information that’s been gleaned from previous inquiries and it’s been in planning for some time.

“Three generations of the Keogh family have been affected by this now.

“For operational reasons we wouldn’t be able to say why we are here. We can say that this is linked to previous investigations. It’s not the only area that’s going to be part of our focus and consideration.”

When asked about the impact on the Keogh family, he added: “They have had 20 years of trying to establish or understand what has happened to Donna, I can’t begin to imagine what that mean for the family to go through for 20 years and not knowing where the location of your loved one and I would ask anyone with information about Donna’s disappearance to get in touch with us.”

One neighbour, whose home overlooks the site, said: “It was a shock to see the police on the wasteland this morning. It would be really good for the family if it is the body of Donna – 20 years is a really long time and hopefully they will be able to get some closure.”

Donna was the first of three young women who went missing from the town between 1998 and 2002.

The second was Vicky Glass who vanished from the town centre in 2000 and her body was discovered near Danby on the North York Moors in November that year.

Rachel Wilson was the third young woman to vanish from Middlesbrough town centre.

The 19-year-old’s disappearance remained a mystery for ten years until June 27, 2012, when a body was found in a shallow hollow at Newham Hall Farm Estate, near Coulby Newham.

Earlier this year, a new website – www.finddonna.co.uk – was launched by police with information about the case.