A North Yorkshire woman whose brother was murdered by the IRA is waiting anxiously with her family in Northern Ireland to discover if they can finally lay him to rest.

Mother-of-four Linda Pywell, from St Mark's Avenue, Harrogate, travelled with her children to her parents home in Andersonstown, West Belfast, on Friday.

Since then she, with her father William McKinney, mother Margaret, brother Martin and sister Sandra, have waited for news of Linda's brother, Brian, who was 22 when he became one of the IRA victims dubbed "the Disappeared".

He was abducted and murdered on May 25, 1978, after being accused of robbing a bar protected by the IRA.

Another man, John McClory, 18, also suffered the same fate, accused of the same robbery.

The family was first told six weeks ago that the IRA would reveal where Brian's body was buried.

On Friday, when the remains of another victim, Eamon Molloy, were left in a coffin at a graveyard just over the border in the Irish Republic, they became more hopeful.

Linda, 40, said: "At the moment it's just a waiting game. We are waiting by the phone and we are feeling quite optimistic."

After the first body was found on Friday, the Gardai (Irish police) called the family on Saturday night to say they were searching marshland at Colgagh in County Monaghan where they believed Brian was buried. Linda said: "Since then we have been waiting, We don't feel there is any point going down there to wait. It's very remote and it would seem a bit morbid.

"But at the same time my brother and my father want to be there when something happens."

Police have agreed to stop work and call the family at the first sign of finding Brian so they can attend the scene with a priest.

Linda's trip to her parents had been planned before the family realised police could be close to finding Brian. She said: "It was on the boat on the way over that I saw it on the news. It was really strange knowing I was related to one of the so-called disappeared. I felt very anxious and worried.

"It is difficult to described our feelings at the moment. We feel happy that it could be coming to an end but also very apprehensive because it takes you back to when it happened and you feel all those emotions again."

Linda is due to travel back to Harrogate on Saturday.

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