Letter from Ian Brady telling the whereabouts of final Moors murder victim's grave 'may never have existed'

Letter from Ian Brady may have been his latest mind game (Getty Images)

A letter detailing the resting place of the final untraced victim of the Moors murderers may have never existed and was just the latest mind game played by Ian Brady, police said today.

Detectives launched an investigation last year after Brady’s mental-health advocate suggested the killer had given her an envelope containing a letter for the mother of Keith Bennett, 12. Prosecutors announced today that the advocate, Jackie Powell, would not be charged with any criminal offence after searches failed to uncover the letter.

The location of Keith’s remains has remained unknown since he was killed by Brady and Myra Hindley in 1964 and buried on Saddleworth Moor. The victim’s mother, Winnie Johnson, who had been seriously ill with cancer, died within days of the possible existence of the letter being made public.

Police secured warrants to go through Ms Powell’s home in South Wales and Brady’s room at the secure Ashworth Hospital, where he has been detained since he was declared insane. No letter was found among the documents recovered.