Detailed searches begun by the RUC in the gardens of two houses in west Belfast are in connection with the disappearance of two teenagers in the 1970s. The houses in Rodney Drive in the St James's area were sealed off yesterday. The RUC confirmed that police "in furtherance of the missing person enquiry" today carried out preparatory works at two houses in advance of searches in connection with the disappearance of Thomas Spence and John Rodgers.
A full briefing is to be to be given tomorrow about the operation which is set to last several days. The two boys were both supposed to be on their way to St Aloysius School when they were last seen on the morning of November 26th, 1974. The last sighting of John, who was 13, was at 9 a.m. when he left his home on Rodney Drive, off Donegall Road in the Falls Road area, to catch the bus to school.
Thomas, from Rockdale Street, also off the Falls, was 11 years old and was last seen by a neighbour at the bus stop on the Falls Road, near Rockview Street at 9.15 a.m. She was concerned that he should have been at school by that time and called at the family home to tell his mother. Mrs Spence then walked to the bus stop but her son was not there.
Neither boy arrived at school and both were reported missing the following day.
Residents in Rodney Drive spoke last night of their horror at the events unfolding around them.
In February this year the case of the two boys was posted on a police missing persons' website.