Limburg police on Monday began searching a piece of land in the village of Beesel in their hunt for the body of a 17-year-old girl who disappeared 44 years ago.

Marjo Winkens vanished on her way back from a visit to a fair in Sittard on the night of September 1, 1975. She had missed the last bus and borrowed the moped of a friend’s mother to get home.

Police say they have restarted the investigation following a ‘interesting tip’, but have declined to give further details. They do, however, believe the tip could lead to a breakthrough in the case, the police statement said.

In het kader van het onderzoek naar de sinds 1975 vermiste Marjo Winkens, start de politie vanochtend een grote #zoekactie op de Kerstenbergweg in #Beesel. Meer informatie via: https://t.co/jr8FfHlcFm pic.twitter.com/xQiVt0sXRZ

— Politie Limburg (@PolLimburg) April 1, 2019

There have been several attempts to find the girl’s body since she disappeared, most recently in 2005 when it was thought she may have been buried under a road near Beesel.

The new information has focused attention on a garden and woodland on the Kerstenbergweg in the village. The owners of the property are not involved in the investigation and have given their permission for experts to look for traces of human remains, police said.