WATER is being pumped out of a lake in search of more body parts belonging to murdered taxi driver Anthony Whitefield.

Following an operation that is likely to continue into the night and last at least two days, Essex Police will be combing Roding Lake in Buckhurst Hill, in search of more evidence.

An arm belonging to the Loughton father-of-five was discovered by an angler at the lake, on March 31 and a police marine unit discovered a second, two days later.

Douglas Binet, 53, of Hanson Drive in Loughton has since been charged with the murder of the 47-year-old former minicab driver and will appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on June 27.

At the search site today, a member of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said, they were pumping between 5,000 and 7,000 litres of water a minute from the lake into the nearby River Roding.

It is hoped the depth of the lake can be reduced to about three feet, allowing fish and other wildlife to remain safe.

The spokesman added: “Depending on how much water is being fed into the lake from its source, we may be here for more than two days, before the police are able to start their search.”

A resident who lives opposite, he said he first suspected something was going to happen at the lake when he saw police notices yesterday, saying no parking was allowed on his street over the weekend.

Hassan Dagli, 37, of Bradwell Road, added: “The whole episode is very weird.

"It's not the kind of thing you expect to happen in an area like this.

“But I am not too worried about my safety or my family's safety because it's such an extreme case and it is not an everyday occurrence.”

Another neighbour who did not want to be named said he was quite 'shocked' by the case, but added: “It will be nice for the family if the police can find something and hopefully get them closer to some kind of conclusion.”

As part of the investigation, Essex Police were also joined by Epping Forest District Council and the Environment Agency.