Detectives searching for the remains of a 19-year-old Irishwoman who went missing 27 years ago have begun a dig at open ground in County Wexford.

Fiona Sinnott was the mother of an 11-month-old baby girl when she disappeared from her home village of Broadway in County Wexford in 1998.

She was socialising with friends at Butler’s pub in the village on Sunday 8 February that year and was last seen leaving the bar at about midnight.

Air space above the location of the dig has been temporarily restricted by the Irish Aviation Authority during the search operation and some roads will be closed.

The area of land will be “subject to excavation, technical and forensic examinations over the coming days,” a Garda (Irish police) statement said.

Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, the missing woman’s sister, Diane Sinnott, said the start of the dig has been an emotional day for their family.

“It’s been very hard not knowing where she is and that she’s still out there.

It’s just been a torment and hasn’t got any easier,”

“The two of us were typical children, teenagers, she was very bubbly, and she was loving life and had so much ahead of her.”

Ms Sinnott lived in Ballyhitt in Broadway with her daughter and was said to be planning her baby’s first birthday party at the time of her disappearance.

The garda statement added officers in the Wexford/Wicklow area have “carried out a sustained investigation” into Ms Sinnott’s disappearace over the last 27 years.

Six people were arrested as part of their inquiries and officers have taken in excess of 500 statements of evidence.

Gardaí said they are anxious to trace four people who were spotted in the vicinity on the night Ms Sinnott disappeared, but who have not yet come forward.

A motorist reported seeing a male and a female on the roadway near Kisha Cross, Broadway at about midnight on that Sunday night.

It has been previously reported that the pair seemed to be having a dispute or an argument at at the time.

There were also two males in their late teens or early 20 in close proximity.

Ms Sinnott was about 1.57m (5ft 2in) in height and weighed about 44kg (7 st) at the time she went missing.

She had shoulder-length auburn hair and brown eyes.

Gardaí have reissued their appeal to anyone with any information in relation to the disappearance and murder of Ms Sinnott to contact them.