Man charged by police investigating double killing

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

A man has been charged by police investigating the disappearance of two men in June.

Police investigating the deaths of boxer Brett Flournoy and David Griffiths have found at least one body and a fire damaged van buried on farmland.

Ross Stone, 28, has been charged with disposing a corpse to obstruct a coroner.

Detectives said they found the body and van on land at Trenance Downs, near Newquay.

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Ross Jan Stone, 28 years old, of Trenance Downs, St Austell, has been charged on the 15th July 2011 with the offence of disposing a corpse to obstruct a Coroner."

Mr Stone was due to appear at Bodmin Magistrates Court this morning.

Mr Flournoy and Mr Griffiths disappeared after travelling to Cornwall in a Citroen Berlingo van on what police called a "social visit".

Detective Inspector Costa Nassaris said yesterday: "We believe this is the Citroen Berlingo van we've been looking for, although we haven't been able to positively identify the vehicle at this time as it has extensive fire damage and it's currently full of soil.

"We also believe we've uncovered the remains of at least one individual. A full forensic examination is now taking place."

He said both men's families had been informed of the discovery.

Forensic teams continue to work at the site with more than 50 police officers involved in the "fast-moving" investigation.

Police said nationally renowned experts in ground radar and excavation have assisted in identifying the actual site and recovery of the buried vehicle.

Mr Flournoy, from the Wirral, Merseyside, and Mr Griffiths, originally from Plymouth but living in Berkshire, were last seen on Thursday June 16 and were known to have arrived in Cornwall at around 7.30pm that night.

It is thought the two men, both in their early 30s, were travelling in a white van.

Mr Flournoy is known to have picked Mr Griffiths up in the van from the car park on the Plymouth side of the Tamar Bridge, which divides Devon and Cornwall, at around 7pm on June 16. It is thought the men then travelled across to Saltash in east Cornwall.