Body found by abuse probe police

The remains were discovered at the Haut de la Garenne site in St Martin by a team of specialist officers working with a sniffer dog.

Police have said they "could not rule out" the possibility that more bodies will be found.

It is not known how old the remains are, but Jersey's deputy chief police officer, Lenny Harper, said it is thought they had been there for more than five years.

He said the skeleton is not that of an infant. It is not yet known if it is male or female.

Haut de la Garenne is one of two sites currently at the centre of a States of Jersey police investigation into alleged child abuse.

At a news conference, Mr Harper said the search of Haut de la Garenne was prompted by information received from some of the victims and witnesses that had been spoken to as part of the historic child abuse inquiry.

He said: "Because of the information we received we brought the team of specialists with us to prepare for the initial screening and search. As a result of definitive indications from the ground penetrating radar, the archaeologist and also, perhaps most pronounced from the dog, we excavated one particular area of the house. We discovered what appears to be the partial remains of a child."

He said an examination by an anthropologist at the scene had concluded that the remains were not that of an adult or infant. The remains were found inside the house, but an exact location has not been given.

The investigation into alleged abuse was launched in November last year. It involves a number of historical allegations of sexual and physical abuse of children said to have occurred on premises run by the state or voluntary groups. It focuses on Haut de la Garenne and Jersey Sea Cadets.