The family of Muriel McKay, who was kidnapped and murdered more than 55 years ago and whose remains have never been found, cannot perform a radar scan of a shared back garden in east London where they believe she is buried, a High Court judge has ruled.

Ms McKay, the wealthy wife of newspaper executive Alick McKay, was kidnapped for a £1 million ransom in 1969 after being mistaken for Anna Murdoch, the then-wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

On Monday, barristers for two of her children, Ian McKay and Dianne Levinson, asked a judge to order that the homeowners of two neighbouring properties on Bethnal Green Road allow them to conduct a “ground-penetrating radar survey” of a shared back garden.

The hearing in London was told that the family now believe Ms McKay’s remains are buried at t

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