POLICE said this afternoon that an item had been found during the search of a field near Swindon in a bid to find personal possessions of murdered Sian O'Callaghan.

For the last two days, a search team has been working in a field between the villages of Bourton and Bishopstone, about six miles east of Swindon.

Wiltshire Police said detectives were acting on information that items belonging to Miss O'Callaghan, 22, may be in the area, six miles east of the town.

Miss O'Callaghan was killed by taxi driver Christopher Halliwell in March 2011. He is serving 25 years, being jailed at Bristol Crown Court in 2012 after admitting Miss O'Callaghan's murder.

Her body was found near the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire.

Following his arrest, Halliwell led detectives to the body of Becky Godden in Gloucestershire but was not prosecuted over her death after a judge ruled detectives had ignored arrest guidelines.

A police spokesman said earlier today: "We can confirm that officers from Wiltshire's Major Crime Investigation Team have been searching a field between the villages of Bourton and Bishopstone."

In a statement released this afternoon Wiltshire Police said they had been searching for a handbag and personal items that belonged to Miss O’Callaghan.

A spokesman said: "After receiving information that the items of property might be in the area, the specially trained search team were conducting fingertip searches the field in the hope of finding Sian’s handbag, phone or keys.

"Today an item was found in a ditch at the edge of the field.

"At this stage we are unable to confirm whether this item belongs to Sian and it has been removed for forensic analysis."

Searches have now been concluded in the area, said police.

Despite appeals at the time Miss O'Callaghan's handbag, mobile phone, and keys have never been found.

Detective Chief Inspector Sean Memory, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “We continue to be in close contact with Sian’s family and they have always wanted to know what happened to her belongings.

"Due to new information we have been searching in this area for the remaining items that are missing and, should we find them, we shall be returning them to the family as soon as possible.”