NINE months after he went missing, the family of a York builder have spoken of their shock after his body was found in a shallow grave.

Tommy Thompson, 58, of Riccall, had been working in Ireland for the past eight years, but visited his family in the York village every few weeks, keeping in constant phone contact with them.

But in April last year, his 27-year-old daughter, Jane, says his phone went off never to go back on. The Irish police launched a missing person investigation, but no more was seen of Mr Thompson - until last week.

On Wednesday, working on a tip-off, the Garda found the remains of a man in a shallow grave in woodland in County Laois, in the heart of the country. The remains were later confirmed as those of Mr Thompson and a murder investigation was launched.

His family, who have lived in Riccall for 17 years, immediately travelled to Ireland, returning earlier this week.

His wife, Sandra, 50, said: "From week one, when we first went there last year, we knew something had happened to him.

"We knew he wouldn't just get up and run away. So we knew something had happened, but not what until last week."

She said the family was now waiting for the police to release her husband's body, so they could organise a funeral.

Jane, who lives in the North-East, and her sister Vicky, 19, are staying with their mother in her Kelfield Road home.

Jane said: "It came as a real shock last week. Dad was always in contact with us. He'd phone me and my sister every week and he was always on the phone to my mum.

"Then on April 20, at 10.10pm, his phone went off and it's never been back on since."

She continued: "He'd only been home at Easter. He went back to Ireland, and six days later he'd disappeared.

"In the last nine months we have had nothing at all - nothing from the bank accounts was touched and his passport wasn't used.

"It has obviously been very hard. The Irish police have been really good. They are in contact with us all the time and they have been more than happy to help."

Mr Thompson's family alerted the Garda soon after their final contact with him by phone on April 20.

Within a few days, a search team was sent to the house in Portloise where Mr Thompson had lived for the past three years.

Police found the house ransacked, with small traces of blood. They immediately launched a missing person investigation.

In December, officers arrested two men in connection with Mr Thompson's disappearance after they found items missing from his house on their land. They have not been linked to his death.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out on Mr Thompson's remains, but the Garda have yet to release his body.

The funeral will take place in Riccall once his family have received the body.


Plasterer was no stranger to working abroad

TOMMY Thompson had spent the last eight years working as a plasterer in Ireland.

But this was not his first time working abroad. His daughter Jane, 27, told how she had spent time in Gibraltar as a youngster as her family moved around with her dad's work.

Born in 1948, near Newcastle, Mr Thompson grew up in the North-East working on farms. Later, he worked in the building trade in Germany and Gibraltar, before returning with his family to the UK, living in London for a number of years.

About 17 years ago, they moved to Riccall where Mrs Thompson remains.

Her husband worked at Shepherd Construction, of York, before working privately as a plasterer.

He went to Ireland eight years ago to take advantage of the country's economic boom. He moved all around the country and settled in Portlaoise three years ago.

While in Riccall, Mr Thompson was a regular player for the darts team at the Greyhound Inn in the village.

His fellow players are setting up a contest in his memory.

Mr Thompson is survived by his wife, Sandra, daughters, Jane and Vicky, and three sons from a previous marriage.