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Jersey chief officer is suspended Jersey chief officer is suspended
(about 2 hours later)
The chief police officer in Jersey has been suspended pending an investigation into his role in an inquiry into alleged child abuse. Jersey's government has criticised a £4.5m police investigation into alleged child abuse at a former care home.
Earlier, detectives said no-one had been murdered at former children's home Haut de la Garenne and previously released evidence had been inaccurate. Ministers suspended the island's chief of police, Graham Power, after a new inquiry team said no-one had been murdered at Haut de la Garenne.
Graham Power has "strenuously" denied any wrongdoing and says he will rigorously contest any allegations. Mr Power denied any wrongdoing after detectives said information previously released by police had been inaccurate.
Jersey's home affairs minister said the probe had not been properly conducted. But home affairs minister Andrew Lewis said some aspects of the inquiry had "not been conducted properly".
Deputy Andrew Lewis confirmed the suspension of Mr Power, who has said he cannot comment publicly on the nature of the allegations. Mr Lewis said: "It is evident that we didn't receive all the information about the historic abuse inquiry that we should have received."
Mr Lewis said: "It is evident that we didn't receive all the information about the historic abuse inquiry that we should have received. He added that the matter had raised questions about the chief's role.
"Some aspects of this critically important police investigation have not been conducted properly." Mr Power has said: "I strenuously deny any wrongdoing and will rigorously contest any allegations in respect of my role."
He added the matter had raised questions about Mr Power's role.
Deputy Chief Officer David Warcup: "The forensic recoveries do not indicate murders"Deputy Chief Officer David Warcup: "The forensic recoveries do not indicate murders"
Earlier on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Officer, David Warcup, said there was no evidence that any children had been murdered or bodies destroyed at the former home. Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Officer, David Warcup, had said there was no evidence that any children had been murdered or bodies destroyed at the former home.
Mr Warcup expressed "much regret" at "misleading" information released by his predecessor, Lenny Harper, on items found at the property. He expressed "much regret" at "misleading" information released by his predecessor, Lenny Harper.
But Mr Harper later said Mr Warcup's statement was a "blatant misrepresentation" of the information he had previously made public. But Mr Harper later said Mr Warcup's statement was a "blatant misrepresentation" of his statements.
At a press conference, Detective Superintendent Michael Gradwell had said only three of the bone fragments found could be human, and two of these were hundreds of years old. At a press conference, Detective Superintendent Michael Gradwell had discredited a number of Mr Harper's claims.
He then discredited a number of Mr Harper's claims. • After being examined by British Museum experts, a fragment thought to have been from a skull turned out to be a piece of Victorian coconut shell.
• After being examined by experts from the British Museum, a fragment thought to have been from a skull turned out to be a piece of Victorian coconut shell. • "Shackles" found in rubble were simply "a rusty piece of metal", with no evidence to suggest it had been used for anything suspicious.
• "Shackles" found in rubble turned out to be "a rusty piece of metal", and there was no evidence to suggest it had been used for anything suspicious. • There was no blood in the cellar, and a bath said to have had blood in had not been used since 1920.
• There was no blood in the cellar, and the bath blood was said to have been found in had not been used since 1920.
• The "secret underground chambers" were just holes in the floor, "not dungeons or cellars".• The "secret underground chambers" were just holes in the floor, "not dungeons or cellars".
• Most of the 170 pieces of bone found in the search came from animals. Three were human and two of these dated from between 1470-1670 and 1650-1950 respectively.• Most of the 170 pieces of bone found in the search came from animals. Three were human and two of these dated from between 1470-1670 and 1650-1950 respectively.
Mr Warcup said: "Our assessment is that the forensic recoveries do not indicate that there have been murders of children or other persons at Haut de la Garenne. Mr Warcup added: "It's very unfortunate and I very much regret that information was put into the public domain by the States of Jersey police about certain finds at Haut de la Garenne, which was not strictly accurate."
"Nor do we believe that the evidence indicates that bodies have been destroyed, buried or hidden at Haut de la Garenne.
"It's very unfortunate and I very much regret that information was put into the public domain by the States of Jersey police about certain finds at Haut de la Garenne, which was not strictly accurate."
Lenny Harper reacts to the latest developments in the inquiryLenny Harper reacts to the latest developments in the inquiry
The investigation into the home had cost "just over £4m", Mr Warcup added. Mr Harper told BBC News: "My first reaction is of great disappointment at the blatant misrepresentation of things that I am supposed to have said, by David Warcup.
Mr Harper told BBC News: "My first reaction is of great disappointment at the blatant misrepresentation of things that I am supposed to have said, by David Warcup. I really don't understand that." "He says that we were claiming there was a murder... I always said all along that we had no evidence of homicide."
"He says that we were claiming there was a murder... I always said all along that we had no evidence of homicide. He said that police had merely revealed they had been treating the home as a "homicide scene" and that officers had never labelled the cellars "torture chambers".
"We were treating the scene as a homicide scene, but there was no evidence of homicide and I would have thought Mr Warcup would have understood the difference between the two."
The officers had never labelled the cellars as torture chambers and had been acting on evidence from victims, Mr Harper added.
"The victims were telling us that they were lowered down into these rooms, which we made clear in our media statements used to be the ground floor of that building," he said."The victims were telling us that they were lowered down into these rooms, which we made clear in our media statements used to be the ground floor of that building," he said.
He added that Mr Warcup's comments came at "an opportune time" for the Jersey government, as a report into the island's care system by the Howard League for Penal Reform was due to be released on Friday. I am not judge, juror or executioner - I am not looking to apportion blame Det Supt Michael Gradwell class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7724575.stm">In pictures: Jersey inquiry evidence He added that Mr Warcup's comments came at "an opportune time" for the Jersey government, as a report into the island's care system by the Howard League for Penal Reform was due to be released on Friday.
Senator Stuart Syvret, a former minister for health and social services, had earlier called the press conference an attempt to "smear and rubbish the work of Lenny Harper". Senator Stuart Syvret, a former minister for health and social services, also criticised the press conference.
He said it was a bid "to justify the dismissal and abandoning of certain aspects of the Haute de la Garenne investigation, including the possibility of child deaths having occurred there, and certain of the more serious abuse claims". He said it was a bid "to justify the dismissal and abandoning of certain aspects of the Haut de la Garenne investigation, including the possibility of child deaths having occurred there, and certain of the more serious abuse claims". It would appear there have been certain sums of money that did not need to have been spent Senator Frank Walker Jersey's Chief Minister class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7724575.stm">In pictures: Jersey inquiry evidence
Mr Gradwell said the child abuse inquiry would continue.Mr Gradwell said the child abuse inquiry would continue.
He said: "The purpose of today is to say there is a child abuse inquiry but in terms of Haut de la Garenne, there was no murder." Jersey's Chief Minister, Senator Frank Walker, said he felt "let down" by the revelations.
The officer said he was not blaming Mr Harper, adding: "I am not judge, juror or executioner - I am not looking to apportion blame." He said a third of the investigation's estimated £4.5m cost had been spent solely on digging at the site.
Jersey's Chief Minister, Senator Frank Walker, and the newly appointed Home Affairs Minister, Deputy Andrew Lewis, will outline their response to the developments later. "It would appear there have been certain sums of money that did not need to have been spent," he added.
Jersey Police launched the investigation into the Haut de la Garenne site, which was a youth hostel in recent years, in 2006.Jersey Police launched the investigation into the Haut de la Garenne site, which was a youth hostel in recent years, in 2006.
It became public in February when officers said they had found what was believed to be part of a child's skull but was in fact a piece of coconut. It became public in February when officers said they had found what was believed to be part of a child's skull.
Scores of people then came forward saying they had been abused at the home between the early 1960s and 1986.Scores of people then came forward saying they had been abused at the home between the early 1960s and 1986.
A spokesman for the Jersey Care Leavers' Association said: "We are relieved that there is no evidence of children having been murdered at Haut de la Garenne.
"This finding opens the way for a proper accounting of the abuse that many people suffered in the child care system in Jersey over decades."