Police have been carrying out a search of a remote stretch of coastline between East Cowes and Wootton today (Friday) in a bid to uncover human remains, following the discovery of a bone earlier this year.
Officers descended on the area surrounding the multi-million-pound Gatekeeper’s Lodge property at King’s Quay at low tide this afternoon, accompanied by HM Coastguard.
King’s Quay is one of the hardest-to-reach locations on the Isle of Wight with no public right of way, situated between the private estates of Barton in Whippingham and Palmers Farm in Wootton. The whole area is marked as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) bounded by ancient woodlands. There is no landing for boats.
It has been confirmed that today’s activity comes after a member of the public discovered a human bone along the shoreline back in April of this year.
Despite the bone being recovered by police for forensic and DNA analysis, its origin and the identity of the person it belonged to remain unknown.
As part of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s ongoing enquiries, officers have been conducting further searches in the King’s Quay area today – but no further human remains have been found.
Police say there are no suggested links to criminal activity and enquiries remain focused on identifying the deceased.
A human bone was found in April and the police are investigating it now, in November, seven months later?
It’s time the north-east coast of the Island was opened up to the public: Norris, Osborne, Barton, Woodside, Seagrove, Priory Bay, all out of reach to the public but never actually used by the owners.
Mind you, seven months sounds quite snappy for local plods.
When I found half a skull on the beach, I took it home and reported it.
The police had a fit and spent 2 days combing the beach.
The county archaeologist phoned me up a year later, it was 2600 years old…..
Site of Special Scientific Interest…great for who ?? if the public can’t see or enjoy it what’s the bloody point.