Mother of missing airman Corrie McKeague believes an attempt to set a car on fire is linked to his disappearance after a night out 

• Corrie McKeague, 23, went missing after a night out on September 24 this year
• He was reported missing when he failed to turn up at his base, RAF Honington
• His mother led a crowd-funded search for the missing airman at the weekend
• Policewoman Nicola Urquhart has vowed to continue hunt until her son is found 

The mother of a missing RAF airman believes his disappearance is linked to a 'suspicious' car which was spotted 17 miles from where he was last seen.

Corrie McKeague, 23, has been missing since vanishing after a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on September 24.

The gunner, based at RAF Honington, has been described by his mother, Nicola Urquhart, as a 'social hand grenade' who would get into a stranger's car and place himself at risk.

Mrs Urquhart also believes a car which was seen 17 miles from Bury in Blo Norton could prove crucial in the desperate search.

Suffolk police said a bystander thought three men were trying to set the car alight whilst parked in a layby on September 25. The vehicle was later driven off but a rag which smelt of petrol was discovered. 

Later the force received a call on November 4 from a local who believed the incident was linked with Corrie's disappearance.

Mrs Urquhart has called the incident 'highly suspicious'.  

A police spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'Around 1.25pm on 25 September a member of the public called police saying that they had seen three men acting suspiciously near a vehicle parked in a layby at Blo Norton, near Diss. 

'The three had driven off in the vehicle. The member of the public said they had then found a rag that had smelt of petrol in the layby and that they thought they may have been trying to set light to the vehicle. Details of the vehicle were taken.'

'Checks were made and, at this time, there is nothing to link this to the enquiry, however police are aware and continue to investigate all lines of enquiry as part of the ongoing work being done to trace Corrie.'

Mrs Urquhart's comments were made in a Facebook Live question and answer session, from her home in Dunfermline, which was watched by more than 37,000 people on Wednesday night.

Describing her son Mrs Urquhart said: 'He's not so much a social butterfly, more a social hand grenade who absolutely lives for the moment.

'He will make choices and decisions that are sometimes reckless that other people might not.

'Would he get into a stranger's car? Yes. Would he go to a stranger's house that he's never met before that he's met on a social dating site? Yes.

'He would put himself at risk because Corrie believed he could handle himself.'

Corrie was last seen on security camera walking alone in Bury at about 3.25am on the morning of his disappearance.

Despite widespread searches across the area no trace of the serviceman has been found.

During the broadcast Mrs Urquhart also criticised the ongoing police investigation.

The mother-of-three, who is a serving police officer, said 'basic door-to-door inquiries' were not made and the opposite side from where Mr McKeague was last seen had still not been searched.

She said she wanted a man seen walking along Cornhill Walk in the town at 3.35am on the morning of his disappearance to be identified.

Corrie was last seen in a 'horseshoe' area in the centre of Bury St Edmunds.

Mrs Urquhart explained how four vehicles had entered this area on the day and she believes one of them did not have a legitimate reason for being there.

She said it was 'imperative' for six more people who have been spotted on CCTV to be identified.

Suffolk police have said they are treating the case as a missing person inquiry but the level of resources has been on par with a murder investigation. 

Last week it emerged that actor Tom Hardy joined the campaign to search for Corrie.

In a video, the 39-year-old said: 'Serviceman Corrie McKeague went missing on September 24 this year at approximately 3.20am in the morning in Bury St Edmunds.

'Nobody has seen or heard of him since and his family is extremely worried and desperate to find him before Christmas or as soon as possible.

'Nobody has given or volunteered any information of his whereabouts.

'So if you have any information at all about his whereabouts please contact the number provided, either to the family themselves, or to the police on the number on the poster below.

'Thank you very much for your help.'