POLICE carried out a fingertip search of James and Joan Britton's garden as North Yorkshire's quadruple murder investigation entered a new phase.

Officers on their knees worked their way across the front lawn of the couple's home near Strensall yesterday, with nearby shrubbery being strimmed to give better visibility.

Police spokesman Ron Johnson said the specialist team, from the force's western area, was looking for anything connected with last Sunday's stabbing of the elderly couple - including the weapon used to kill them, which has not yet been found.

He said the large garden would be searched, before officers carried out a search inside the house and also of land in the surrounding area. "We are using specialist search teams in various places," he said.

Mr Johnson said a forensic examination of the house's interior was still continuing.

Meanwhile, people were continuing to leave bouquets of flowers with accompanying messages of condolences outside the garden gate.

One message left yesterday said: "To the person that did this, from a community sticking together. You're a coward."

Mr Britton, 80, and his 82-year-old wife were found stabbed in their home on Sunday morning.

The couple were frail and law-abiding, with Mrs Britton virtually housebound and her husband suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

Updated: 11:40 Thursday, July 22, 2004