A MAN has appeared in court charged with the murder of 33-year-old Derek Andrews whose body was found on wasteland near the Grand Union Canal.

Mr Andrews had been missing since Wednesday, November 28 last year after telephoning his family to say he was in trouble.

His body was discovered between the River Gade and the Grand Union Canal, in Croxley Green, on Boxing Day by a family out walking.

Stuart Steele, 38, of Carmalite Road, Harrow Weald, appeared before Watford magistrates on Wednesday to have the murder charge put to him.

Defending Mr Hiten Patel made no application for bail and Steele was remanded in custody until the next preliminary hearing at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday, February 4.

Steele had been arrested in Carmarthen, Wales, on Monday morning and taken to the local police station for questioning, before later being transferred to Watford Police Station.

The arrest has come after fruitless searches of the canal where a number of mobile phones found by a police diving team proved to have no link to the murdered man.

Officers carried out a further search in Batchworth Hill, Rickmansworth, last Wednesday to look for what have been called "outstanding items."

Police, however, have consistently refused to confirm or deny whether the search is for the murder weapon, for what are termed operational reasons.

Deputy senior investigating officer Mr Michael Hanlon said: "The search is one of many lines of enquiry in relation to the murder of Derek Andrews.

"There are several outstanding items which we are trying to trace to help with enquiries."

January 30, 2003 10:00