Police launch probe after demolition crew discover human bones at site of former care home in historic market town of Melton Mowbray
- Former home for the elderly is being demolished to make way for new housing
- Diggers were working at the site yesterday when bones were found at the site
- Police confirm the remains are human and have launched an investigation
Police are investigating after human bones were found at the site of a former care home which is being demolished in Melton Mowbray.
The bones were found at the site of Catherine Dalley House, which was once a home for elderly but is now being torn down to make way for retirement bungalows.
Work was called to a halt yesterday afternoon and police forensics experts moved in following the grim discovery.
Police are scouring the site of a former care home after human bones were found on the site
The bones were found at the Catherine Dalley House site, a care home which is now closed
Police forensic experts have confirmed today that the bones were human
A police tent is now visible at the site, locals think diggers may have disturbed the remains
Aerial shots show the police forensics tent right in the centre of the site where the home stood
This morning, Leicestershire Police confirmed that tests had confirmed the bones were human.
A spokesman for the force said: ‘Officers received a report at around 3.30pm yesterday after human bones had been found at a site off Scalford Road, Melton Mowbray.
‘Officers attended the area. A scene preservation is in place and enquiries, which are in the early stages, are ongoing.’
Locals believe diggers working to demolish the existing building uncovered the human remains during their work at the site, which is now run by retirement housebuilder McCarthy and Stone.
A photographer for local news website LeicestershireLive said: ‘The previous building has been demolished and McCarthy and Stone seem to be building new retirement homes on the site.
‘The little white forensics tent is bang in the middle of the building site, surrounded by diggers. It looks like they might have come across something while working on the site.’
This is the former care home which used to be on the site. It was closed in 2016
Workmen have been operating at the site as the building once on the site is torn down
Developers plan to build 50 retirement bungalows on the site. The project is currently halted
A multi-million pound project is under way to build 50 retirement bungalows and apartments.
The 31-bed care home, which was run by Leicestershure County Council, was closed in 2016 after it revealed it would cost £315,000 to upgrade.
The site was vacant for two years before planning permission was granted and builders began demolishing the buildings.