A TV INVESTIGATOR is again calling for a garden to be dug up in an attempt to solve a 1988 murder.

It is believed the body of Louise Kay, a teenager who went missing more than 30 years ago, could be buried in the Brighton plot.

Mark Williams-Thomas, says he is “certain” notorious serial killer Peter Tobin killed the 18-year-old.

The retired police detective has identified a garden where he believes she could be buried and has been calling for some time for Brighton and Hove City Council, which owns the land, to allow him to dig it up.

Now a petition backing his calls for action, called “Louise Kay Justice”, has been set up and has already been signed by more than 350 people.

Louise went missing from Eastbourne, along with her distinctive Ford Fiesta, leaving police baffled and her family and friends desperate for answers. The teenager had been out with her best friend Sarah Emmerson, who she dropped at home before driving off towards Beachy Head.

The new petition is called “Louise Kay Justice”.

It says: “Very sadly the local authority, who own the premises, won’t allow a search to be carried out at the address. Louise’s heartbroken family have been left desperate for answers and never received closure of Louise’s disappearance.

“Mark Williams-Thomas is ‘certain’ Peter Tobin is responsible for her disappearance.”

Mr Williams-Thomas presented an ITV documentary on the case last year.

In it, Louise’s family ask for his help to find out what happened to her but the story took a sinister turn when he started to uncover cases of other women who disappeared in similar circumstances.

Louise’s best friend admitted she is still wracked by guilt about whether things could have been different that night. Louise insisted on driving off and would often sleep at the beauty spot.

Mr Williams-Thomas’s investigation led him towards Tobin, 71, who is a convicted killer serving three life sentences for the murders of Angelika Kluk, Vicky Hamilton and Dinah McNicol.

Angelika was buried beneath floorboards of a Glasgow church were Tobin worked on odd jobs, while Vicky and Dinah were buried under his house in Margate.

Tobin was living in Sussex in 1988 and the programme investigates a potential link to Louise’s car, which had a hand-painted white door.