'Significant Finds' In Jersey Care Home Cellar

Police investigating the discovery of a child's remains in a former care home in Jersey have said that they have made "a couple of finds of some significance" as the search continues.

The discovery was made during searches of underground rooms in a cellar at the Haut de la Garenne youth hostel.

Lenny Harper, Jersey's Deputy Chief Police Officer, did not reveal what the items were, but told reporters that they were items which witnesses had said were in the area of the home where children were allegedly abused.

On Wednesday, a police sniffer dog, trained to find human remains, was said to have shown an "extremely strong reaction" in the first cellar room.

Mr Harper said that the dog's reaction was similar to the response when the child's remains were found in the building on Saturday.

Mr Harper also told reporters that police had received 70 calls from people who mentioned the cellar at the home. He also told reporters that the second cellar room was also bricked up, like the first one, and that initial investigation at the scene corroborated statements made by some of the victims.

On Thursday, it was reported that a former employee had contacted police with information about a third underground room, unconnected to the others, which was not part of the main building and was used as a store room.

The Haut de la Garenne home, which closed as a care home in 1986, is being searched as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse in Jersey, dating back to the 1960s.

More than 200 alleged victims and witnesses have now contacted police and it has been reported that there are now 40 suspects in the inquiry.

(KMcA)