FATHER 'TRIED TO SUBLET FLAT TO STUDENTS'

Sources say they continue to maintain the child passed away in his sleep from natural causes, that they discovered him dead in his bed and panicked and secretly buried him by digging a shallow grave by hand in the marshy lands nearby.

- BY NICOLA DONELLY

THE father of the missing boy presumed dead tried to let out the apartment he lived in as student accommodation after the child disappeared - despite the apartment being owned by Fingal County Council, we can reveal.

This comes as the search for the missing boy - who has not been seen in four years and would be around seven years old now - continues and is expected to go on into next week.

Gardai continued to comb the area of marshy land on the Portrane Road in Donabate, north county Dublin, for the ninth day. Two surveyors were brought in yesterday for precise data collection.

Several wooden canes with tape on them were also placed in different spots on the search site marking specific points.

A longer timeframe for the search of the boy is also being considered if there has been no breakthrough within the coming days, sources have said.