Moors Murder victim Keith Bennett's mother dies

The mother of Moors Murder victim Keith Bennett has died.

Winnie Johnson, 78, died on Friday night after a long campaign to get her son's killer, Ian Brady, to reveal where his body is buried.

Twelve-year-old Keith was abducted on his way to visit his grandmother in Manchester on 16 June 1964.

Mrs Johnson's death comes after police said they were examining claims Brady may have revealed information about Keith's grave.

Her solicitor, John Ainley, said she had been suffering from cancer for a number of years and passed away peacefully at a hospice with her family present.

She has died without knowing Keith's whereabouts and without the opportunity to finally put him at rest in a decent grave”

Brady and his lover Myra Hindley murdered five children between 1963 and 1965.

Police are investigating whether Brady, 74, gave details to his mental health advocate, Jackie Powell, from Carmarthenshire.

The BBC understands Mrs Johnson was not told about the latest development.

Mr Ainley, who had represented Mrs Johnson's legal interests in the past few years, reaffirmed her beliefs that Brady still held the key to Keith's burial spot.

"Over the years and in all our personal meetings, Winnie has insisted Brady is the only person who could put her mind to rest and give her the chance to give Keith a decent burial before she passed away," he said.

"She was convinced Brady knew where her son was buried and she told me she wanted the search to continue to find Keith.

"Despite her personal appeals directly to Brady and via my office, Brady had persistently ignored the wishes of a grieving mother.

"She has died without knowing Keith's whereabouts and without the opportunity to finally put him at rest in a decent grave.

"It is a truly heartbreaking situation that this opportunity has now been irrevocably lost."

In July Mrs Johnson had been due to attend a mental health tribunal to hear Brady's application to be transferred to a Scottish prison and be allowed to die.

But Mrs Johnson, from Longsight, Manchester, was too ill to attend the hearing which was eventually postponed due to Brady falling ill.

Mrs Johnson's former solicitor, David Kirwan, described her death as a "cruel and ironic twist".

He added: "She never gave up... She was Keith's mother."

Mr Kirwan said he was very glad that her family would continue the search for Keith.