A woman hands an officer flowers in poignant tribute as the police search continues for Moors Murders victim Keith Bennett

There was an and eerie and sombre atmosphere on the moors above Oldham today as specialist officers battled inclement weather during their resumed search for the remains of Moors Murders victim Keith Bennett.

Police began digging at a remote spot between Saddleworth and the border with West Yorkshire yesterday morning (Friday) after information from author Russell Edwards, who had been researching the murder of 12-year-old Keith by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley 58 years ago.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say they were shown photographs of what experts working with Mr Edwards believed to be part of a human jaw bone. Excavation of the site began and after having to be halted due to foul weather on Friday evening, it resumed early on Saturday morning.

READ MORE: Keith Bennett's brother sceptical amid search for child's remains - after 'part of skull pictured and sent to police'

Around half a dozen specialist forensic crime scene officers, as well as plain-clothes detectives, could be seen working at two police tents, which have been erected next to each other several hundred yards down a steep hill in the middle of moors off Holmfirth Road, around two miles from Dovestones Reservoir which is visible through the mist in the distance.

For large periods there was an eerie silence pierced only by the sound of passing traffic, and the occasional clicks from assembled photographers cameras as the officers quietly carried out their work.

The officers emerged on only a handful of occasions, at one point climbing the hill in order to collect more evidence bags before again walking the treacherous route down to the search area.

They were assisted by firefighters, with two fire engines and a third fire service vehicle parked on