THE hunt for the body of missing 35-year-old father of three Andrew Scanlan concluded on military land at Beacon Hill on Wednesday afternoon. Assisting their Cambridgeshire counterparts, Hampshire Constabulary began the grim search of the sealed Ewshot site on Saturday. A large blue forensic tent was erected alongside a spotlight, while teams of police, search dogs and forensic officers diligently combed the area. The corpse was taken to the Royal Hampshire Hospital, where a post mortem was due to take place on Thursday. A formal identification is expected to occur next week. On Monday, three men appeared in Peterborough Magistrates' Court, charged with the murder of Andrew Scanlan. Mark Baigent, 26, of Medworth, Peterborough, James Baigent, 29, of Moor Close, Sandhurst, and Jeff Woods, 35, of Birch Hill, Bracknell. have been remanded in custody. They are due to appear before Cambridge Crown Court today (Friday) for a plea and case management hearing. The three men were arrested on the morning of January 3, and four properties in Sandhurst, Bracknell, Peterborough and Gosberton, south Lincolnshire, were duly searched. Last seen at his Peterborough home on November 17 last year, Mr Scanlan was officially registered missing five days later by his concerned girlfriend. Police duly launched a manhunt, after he had not made contact with his nearest and dearest throughout the festive season. Pc John Sharman of Cambridgeshire Constabulary said at that time: "We are growing increasingly concerned for Andrew as his disappearance is out of character and we would have expected him to make contact with his family or friends over Christmas. "We believe he may be in the Guildford area of Surrey, and particularly Fleet, where he is originally from."
