DETECTIVES need more time to complete their investigations into the gardens and garages behind the former home of double murderer Christopher Halliwell.

Specialist forensic teams have been digging in the rear yards of two Broad Street properties since Monday in an operation that was originally expected to last five days.

But this afternoon, the officer leading the investigation, which was launched based on new intelligence, announced that it will now continue into next week.

Detective Chief Inspector Jeremy Carter, of the Brunel Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Searches at the premises here in Broad Street are now expected to continue into next week.

“Specialist police officers began work within the gardens and garages of two properties on Monday and initially, this was expected to last five days.

“Work at the site will pause for the weekend on Friday, and we will reconvene to commence searching once again on Monday next week.

“The alleyway which runs alongside these garages and gardens will remain cordoned off during this time and police officers will continue to patrol the vicinity.

“We aim to keep this disruption to a minimum as much as possible. Residents can expect to see further activity in the area next week however we still do not have any intentions to search the houses of the addresses at this time.

“As previously mentioned, this work is intelligence led and forms part of an ongoing investigation being carried out by the Brunel Major Crime Investigation Team.”

As has been the case since officers first arrived in the area on Monday, he did not comment on the nature of the search that is being conducted.

Police have refused to be drawn on whether there is a link between the intensive forensic activity and the former occupant of one of the homes, Christopher Halliwell.

The 53-year-old former taxi driver is currently serving a whole life sentence in prison for the murder of two young women from Swindon.

He killed 20-year-old Becky Godden in January 2003 and 22-year-old Sian O’Callaghan in March 2011 in cases that captured the attention of the town and the country.

Records show that Halliwell lived at 96 Broad Street between 1997 and 2001.

The street that has become the focus of the ongoing investigation is normally a quiet residential community.

The presence of police vans, cordons, officers in protective forensic suits and the local and national press has come as a surprise to residents in surrounding roads.

DCI Carter reiterated that the current occupants of the properties at the centre of the search were not involved in the investigation.

He thanked them, and the wider community, for their patience and cooperation.