Police enter gutted mansion site

LONDON (Reuters) - Police searching for a family of three missing since a suspicious fire destroyed their Shropshire mansion gained access to the site of the gutted house for the first time on Friday.

West Mercia Constabulary said extensive debris in the main building in Maesbrook, near Oswestry, meant the search could take several days and possibly weeks.

A suspected arson attack ripped through Osbaston House, its stable block and a garage area early on Tuesday.

Millionaire businessman Christopher Foster, 50, his wife Jill, 49 and their 15-year-old daughter Kirstie have not been seen since.

"Officers have completed a search of the outbuildings and are now in the process of removing vehicles from the site," said Superintendent Gary Higgins.

"We have completed a cursory search of the annexe part of the main building which is relatively intact following the fire.

"We will enter the main part of the house today and forensic specialists will begin the lengthy, painstaking process of sifting and examining all the contents."

Officers are waiting for the results of post mortems conducted on an unspecified number of horses found at the scene. The corpses of three dogs were also found close by.

Newspaper reports said the horses had been shot.