Update from Haut de la Garenne - PM

RELEASED TO MEDIA AT 19.15 hrs on Monday 17 March

Please find below a few points from today for the evening update

GORDON CLAUDE WATERIDGE (76) appeared again in the Magistrate’s Court today. Wateridge was charged in January this year and used to work at Haut de la Garenne. He was a warden there. He did not enter a plea, therefore his plea is down as reserved at the moment. He is back in Court on 14 April. He is to reside under the same bail conditions; but reporting restrictions are placed on these conditions and I am afraid I do not have them.

Meanwhile, work has continued today at Haut de la Garenne. The team are still carrying out slow and painstaking work on the second cellar and they will continue to work in this cellar all week.

Following some reports at the weekend, we are happy to confirm that the dog has indicated an interest in the area of the bath in the first cellar and also by the wall of the second cellar - the two are close together.

We are going to examine the drains within the 2nd cellar. However, this has to be done in a very exact way so we do not lose evidence, and the team are currently in close contact with colleagues in the UK to work out the best way forward with this so that evidence is preserved.

Regarding the builders referred to in press at the weekend, we can confirm that we have spoken to the builders and that statements have been taken from them. However, we will not say more than this at this stage.

We hope to get results on the fragment of skull next week but there is no exact date. I will update you on this as soon as I have more information.

Our enquiry team in town has more than doubled in size since we began this operation. The team are working in both Jersey and the UK taking statements from victims and we would urge anyone who wants to contact us to do so. They will be treated sensitively. We are being assisted by colleagues from a number of UK forces and a call taker from the NSPCC arrived in Jersey today.

There are now a total of 3 bloodspots found in the bath by the dog (all 3 are invisible to the eye)

There are no media briefings planned for tomorrow.

The press officer has an appointment outside Jersey tomorrow and will not be available for some of the afternoon on Tuesday 18 March.

Louise Nibbs

Press Officer

The States of Jersey Police