Human remains probe at Belfast sanctuary called off

A dig by police in a wildlife sanctuary close to a west Belfast cemetery, launched amid concerns that human remains were buried there, was called off today.

The PSNI said nothing suspicious had been found.

They moved in earlier this week after a survey of the ground at Bog Meadow - once owned by Milltown Cemetery – showed up what was described as an anomaly.

The land was once owned by the Catholic Church but sold some years ago to the Ulster Wildlife Trust.

Campaigners later expressed fears that the land held the unmarked graves of hundreds of infants buried between the 1940s and 1980s, prompting surveys of the site.

Those surveys and a search by sniffer dogs trained to indicate where human remains may be buried, was carried out and indicated something potentially suspicious at the base of an oak tree in a field.

Local people claimed it could be the bodies of two men missing from west Belfast for a number of years.

However, the PSNI said after several days examining the scene: “Excavation work at Bog Meadow has been completed. Nothing suspicious has been found. Police are beginning to leave the area.”

A spokesman added: “Discussions will take place with Queen’s University Belfast and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency as to the cause of the anomaly in the original survey.

“However, the search operation this week has uncovered no physical evidence to justify further police inquiries at this time.”

They said they wanted to thank the local community for their patience and understanding during the police operation.