Police officers abseiled down cliffs in South Pembrokeshire on Sunday in search of a body.

The highly unusual police operation was launched after a man claimed he had murdered a man and thrown his body over cliffs at Stack Rocks.

The only access to the foreshore was by abseiling.

However, in consultation with the Coastguard and the Ministry of Defence, the operation was launched at the weekend.

Said Detective Inspector Jim Morris said: "We had been unable to carry out the search over the winter because of tidal and weather conditions.

"On Sunday, we conducted a search using police search awareness officers, with the assistance of local coastguards. The police team, consisting of Inspector Nigel Hayes, PC Paul Owen Williams and PC Justin Price Williams abseiled down the cliff, and carried out a four-hour search.

He added: "Nothing of any evidential value was recovered."

Detective Inspector Morris said investigations were continuing into the disappearance of 25-year-old James Nutley, from Caldicot, Monmouthshire.

He had been on a golfing trip to Tenby, on October 24th, 2004. But friends reported him missing after he failed to turn up at his hotel. At the time an extensive search was launched, but there was no trace of him apart from some of his possessions found on the South Beach.

In October last year, James' face was featured on thousands of milk bottles. His family have set up a website to help trace his whereabouts, and a five-minute news report went out on ITV Wales a few weeks ago.

Police confirmed that the family are aware of the latest developments.

A man has been arrested in relation to the disclosures and he will be appear in court with perverting the course of justice.