IPSWICH: Detectives investigating the discovery of human remains on a building site say it may be some time before a positive identification can be made.

Police officers looking into the Valley Road find say a line of inquiry has been identified in relation to a missing man and they have been liaising with his family.

Detective chief inspector Neil Luckett told The Evening Star: “We are working with the family to see if we can formally identify the remains and the one way we can, if at all possible, is to do that forensically and that is what we are seeking to do here.

“And before we say who this is we want to confirm it with the family and forensically.”

The bones were unearthed by workmen who were digging the foundations for four luxury homes on a building site a week ago.

Officers are still searching the site despite the bones, belonging to an adult male, being removed on Monday and taken to the mortuary for further examination.

Torn trousers, other material and an item of footwear were also discovered near the bones but police have said they do not know if they were originally associated with the remains or if their proximity was coincidental.

Det Ch Insp Luckett said: “We are still working with the anthropologist and pathologist to try to identify not only who this is but the cause of death.

“We are still treating the death as unexplained as we don’t know enough about how he died and how he came to be there.”

The Star understands the bones have been dated back to the latter part of the last century but a Home Office pathologist is due to carry out a post-mortem this week to determine a cause of death, discover the person’s identity and how long their remains had been buried there.

Anyone with information about the remains should call Suffolk Police on 01473 613500.

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