The mum of missing RAF airman Corrie McKeague, 23, says she believes the police's theory over the disappearance of her son in 2016 is wrong – after inquest heard he 'died in the back of a bin lorry'

RAF airman Corrie McKeague's mother does not believe police's theory her son died in a bin lorry - saying CCTV showed him leaving the bin area before he disappeared.

Nicola Urquhart, 51, said unpublished CCTV footage showed her son, 23, walking out alive from the area where he was last seen after a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in 2016.

Police told her experts examined the footage and decided the figure was a woman in a miniskirt, and not Mr McKeague.

But his mother told The Mirror: 'I said the description of a was put out, I've seen CCTV of , she was in dark jeans. That's not a girl, that absolutely is Corrie.'

Mr McKeague was last seen alive at 3.25am on Saturday, September 24, 2016. 

Nicola Urquhart , 51, said unpublished CCTV footage showed her son walking out alive from the area where he was last seen after a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

CCTV footage showed him entering a horseshoe-shaped area in Brentgovel Street, behind a Superdrug and a Greggs shop, where there were several industrial waste bins

McKeague , 23, vanished after going out with friends in 2016. Ms Urquhart, a police officer from Dunfermline, Fife, believes her son died in 2016, but says he may have got into trouble as he made his way back to his base at RAF Honington

CCTV footage showed him entering a horseshoe-shaped area in Brentgovel Street, behind a Superdrug and a Greggs shop, where there were several industrial waste bins. 

Ms Urquhart, a police officer from Dunfermline, Fife, believes her son died in 2016, but says he may have got into trouble as he made his way back to his base at RAF Honington. 

Earlier this month an inquest heard Mr McKeague died in the back of a bin lorry after climbing into a Greggs bin and falling asleep.

She added: 'To me they've proved beyond doubt Corrie didn't go in the bin. I believe he walked out and came to harm trying to get back up to base.'  

The £2million investigation was shelved in 2018 after no trace of Mr McKeague was found and Ms McKeague hopes an inquest next year could give her some answers.

Earlier this month an inquest heard Mr McKeague died in the back of a bin lorry after climbing into a Greggs bin and falling asleep

CCTV footage shows him entering a horseshoe-shaped area in Brentgovel Street, behind a Superdrug and a Greggs shop, where there are several industrial waste bins

MailOnline has contacted Suffolk Police for comment. 

It comes after Ms McKeague claimed a taxi driver's wife called her to allege her husband had beaten Mr McKeague and left him for dead after he was sick in his cab. 

In a second allegation, Ms Urquart said she received a call from another person who claimed they knew somebody who 'said he and his friend had tried to rob Corrie.'

She added the person said the mugging had 'gone wrong and they'd put him in the bin.' 

Police were able to trace Mr McKeague's mobile phone signal, which showed it had travelled around 14 miles in a vehicle shortly after 4am - at the same time the Greggs lorry was emptied into a lorry.

Mr McKeague was last seen near a bin loading area in Bury St Edmunds in 2016. Police searched a landfill site near Cambridge for his body in March the following year

Police carried out two searches of a 120-acre landfill site at Milton, Cambridgeshire, over 27 weeks in 2017, but found no sign of Mr McKeague's body after sifting through 9,000 tons of rubbish

Mr McKeague's girlfriend April Oliver , then 21, found out that she was pregnant with his child after he disappeared and later gave birth to his daughter Ellie-Louise 

No trace of Mr McKeague has been found but Suffolk's senior coroner, Nigel Parsley, said he 'died in the Suffolk jurisdiction in September 2016'. 

Marina Ericson, Temporary Chief Superintendent of Suffolk Police, told the hearing it is believed that Mr McKeague climbed into a bin which was emptied into a waste lorry where he subsequently died.

Police carried out two searches of a 120 acre landfill site at Milton, Cambridgeshire, over 27 weeks in 2017, but found no sign of Mr McKeague's body after sifting through 9,000 tons of rubbish. 

TIMELINE: How Corrie McKeague vanished without a trace after a night out in Suffolk 

2016 

Friday, September 23

Corrie McKeague drives into Bury St Edmunds and meets up with RAF colleagues to go drinking and socialising. He drinks so much he is asked to leave Flex nightclub and is later seen asleep in a doorway with a takeaway. 

Saturday, September 24

3.25am - CCTV footage shows him entering a horseshoe-shaped area in Brentgovel Street, behind a Superdrug and a Greggs shop, where there are several industrial waste bins.

4.19am -  A Biffa waste lorry empties the Greggs bin and the bin is recorded as weighing 116kg (18st 3lb). This is around 70kg to 80kg (12st 8lb) more than its average weight.

The rubbish is taken to a transfer station at Red Lodge. Records suggest it then went to the Milton landfill site, but police have not discounted it being taken elsewhere. 

3.42pm - Mr McKeague's colleagues at RAF Honington report him missing.

2017

Two searches of a 120-acre landfill site are held at Milton in Cambridgeshire over the course of 27 weeks. Officials sift through 9,000 tons of rubbish but find no sign of Mr McKeague. 

The first search is called off in July and the second resumes in October and lasts approximately six weeks. 

2018

March

Suffolk Police announce his disappearance has been moved to the major investigation cold case team. 

October

Suffolk Police say they believe Mr McKeague's body is at a landfill site in Cambridgeshire. 

2019

On the third anniversary of Mr McKeague's disappearance, his mother, Nicola Urquhart, says she has accepted her son is dead - but adds that she hasn't given up hope of finding his remains. 

2020

Thursday, August 27 

A murder inquiry is launched after human remains are found in two bin bags in the River Stour in Sudbury. A post-mortem examination carried out by the Home Office proved inconclusive. Mr McKeague's mother thought the remains could have been her missing son's.

Friday, September 4 

Police confirm the remains found in Sudbury were not Mr McKeague's. 

Thursday, November 5 

Chief Coroner of England and Wales confirms that he has directed that an inquest be held. 

Friday, November 11

Mr McKeague's inquest in Ipswich is opened and adjourned. Marina Ericson, Temporary Chief Superintendent of Suffolk Police, tells the hearing it is believed that Mr McKeague climbed into a bin which was emptied into a waste lorry where he subsequently died.