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Body Hunt Sniffer Dog Reacts In Cellar

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A sniffer dog trained to find human remains has had an "extremely strong reaction" in a cellar at a former children's home where police are digging for bodies - as another "suspicious" bricked-up room is discovered.

Police at the former home

Jersey's deputy chief police officer Lenny Harper said the sniffer dog started barking soon after entering the cellar, which it is trained to do when "it makes a discovery".

He said the animal's response was similar to when a child's skull was found at the premises on Saturday.

That discovery followed a police probe into accusations of violent and sexual abuse dating back to the 1960s at the ex-care home, called Haut de la Garenne.

Mr Harper, describing the new sealed room, said: "Some of the bricking-up appears suspicious but there could be an innocent explanation for it.

He added: "The initial look at what's in (the cellar) certainly corroborates some of the victims. I don't wish to elaborate on what's in there at the moment."

Dozens of former residents claim they were raped, drugged and flogged at the home.

A number of ex-staff members have since been arrested on suspicion of paedophile crimes.

Mr Harper said there were "well in excess of 160 victims" of abuse at the home, which was later used as a police station in the television detective series Bergerac.

The cellar is one of several sites being looked at by police after being identified by sniffer dogs.

news.sky.com
2008 Feb 27