THE story of a Rosyth murder and its investigation has been unearthed.

A recent refurbishment of the Fife Police Division Museum has brought to the light the death of a young woman in 1974.

The police have told of how in November that year, the woman's body was found in a bus terminal at Rosyth Dockyard and police suspicion fell upon naval personnel in the area.

Some of them were part of the NATO fleet anchored in the Forth, and due to set sail the following day to participate in an exercise in the Arctic Circle.

Fearing that they may lose any potential suspect, Superintendent William Moodie was asked to take charge of an operation which saw him and 28 officers from Fife Constabulary and the Ministry of Defence Police join the crews and set sail from Fife aboard various ships from the Royal Navy, as well as the German, Dutch and French navies.

As the investigation continued, a 24-year-old rating from HMS Rhyl became the focus of attention.

This proved to be the person responsible and he was arrested.

By this stage, his ship was anchored off Orkney and the accused was escorted by motor-boat to the island then airlifted to Aberdeen before being conveyed back to Fife.

The seaman stood trial at the High Court in Edinburgh and was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Superintendent William Moodie later became Chief Constable of Fife Constabulary between 1984 and 1996.