Jersey police discount "bone" evidence in abuse probe

The Haut de la Garenne Youth Hostel is seen behind daffodils near St. Martin in Jersey March 1, 2008.

LONDON (Reuters) - The investigation at a former Jersey children's home at the centre of a long-running abuse inquiry took a new twist on Sunday as police said they had ruled out a piece of forensic evidence discovered in February.

Jersey police said a fragment of "bone" forwarded to the UK on March 6 for carbon dating at a laboratory was now thought to be a piece of wood or seed, but that this piece of evidence had already been discounted from their inquiry.

"While the item has now been examined by three specialists, it's been ruled out of the inquiry because of the archaeological context in which it had been found and it's not intended to proceed further with this exhibit," Jersey Police said in a statement.

Police are investigating the former children's home as part of an inquiry into abuse on Jersey between the 1950s and 2003.

Jersey police said over the last two weeks 20 pieces of bone and six children's teeth had been found in the house's cellar area and that they expected carbon dating and DNA results next week.

Other discoveries at the building have included blood spots on a stone bathtub in an underground chamber which had been bricked up.

More than 160 people have contacted police saying they were abused at the house.

(Reporting by John Joseph)