Advisory group visits abuse site

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An independent advisory group set up to oversee the work of Jersey Police's historic abuse inquiry team has paid its first visit to Haut de la Garenne.

The five-member team will act as "critical friends" of the inquiry team and as a link between them and the community, according to police.

The local group aims to prevent rumours from damaging the investigation.

The team will hold regular meetings with the police and can challenge how the police carry out their inquiries.

So far police have found a skull fragment they believe belongs to a child, and have entered two bricked up cellars in the building.

Earlier this month sniffer dogs detected traces of what is thought to be human blood on a concrete bath in the underground chamber.

Police hope to start getting results from some of the forensic materials sent for analysis, including the skull fragment, within the next week.

An NSPCC operator is being sent from London to work in the Jersey incident room taking calls from potential witnesses and victims.

More than 160 people claim to have been abused at Haut de la Garenne, which is now a youth hostel, during the 1970s and 1980s and 25 people are suspected of having taken part in the sexual and physical assaults.

Investigations resumed on Monday and may continue for several weeks.