Home of caretaker's grandmother searched

Detectives have already conducted a three-day search of Huntley’s father’s home in Littleport, Cambridgeshire, and took about 50 items from the house for forensic testing.

Today they appeared to seize several more items of potential evidence from a bungalow in Lakenheath, Suffolk, understood to belong to the caretaker’s grandmother, Lily Gollings.

Police insisted the search of the bungalow – some four miles from the remote spot where the girls’ bodies were found – was a “very low key search” and said it was a routine part of the investigation.

The search at the bungalow was believed to have been completed and police took down cordons which had sealed off the quiet warden-controlled housing scheme.

Cordons were still up outside Kevin Huntley’s home in Littleport, and the search of the house Huntley and his girlfriend Maxine Carr, 25, shared in the grounds of Soham Village College was expected to continue for some time.

The college and the neighbouring primary school which Holly and Jessica both attended are also being searched and education bosses were preparing contingency plans in case pupils cannot return at the beginning of the new school year.

A telephone helpline set up to provide support to pupils and their families has received about 160 calls this week and will continue to run over the weekend.

Students at the college in Soham had to collect their GCSE results from the town library earlier today because the college was still sealed off.

College principal Howard Gilbert said the exam results – which set new records for the school – had given students something to celebrate but added that everybody’s thoughts were still with the Wells and Chapman families.

An inquest into the deaths of the two youngsters is due to be opened and adjourned tomorrow.

The coroner for south and west Cambridgeshire, David Morris, will open and adjourn the inquest at Shire Hall, Cambridge, and Detective Chief Inspector Andy Hebb will give evidence about the girl’s disappearance and the subsequent discovery of their remains.

The formal opening and adjourning of the inquest allows funeral arrangements to be made, although initial postmortem examinations on the bodies proved inconclusive and they must undergo further analysis which is expected to take some weeks.

Meanwhile the Football Association has said that all Premiership, Nationwide League, Conference and supporting league football games this weekend will mark the deaths of the schoolgirls with a minute’s silence. The Scottish Premier League also wrote to all top flight clubs asking them to observe a minute’s silence.

Teams from the country’s major leagues are to perform the silent tribute in memory of the girls, who were last seen wearing Manchester United tops with their idol David Beckham’s name and number on them.

The silences will begin with Manchester United’s game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tomorrow night and will be marked at all FA Premiership, Nationwide League, Conference and supporting league events.

FA director of marketing and communications Paul Barber said: “The whole nation has been shocked and saddened by the deaths of Holly and Jessica.

The girls’ love of football is well known and everyone connected with the game is keen to pay their respects to Holly and Jessica and offer their condolences to the girls’ families and friends at the same time.”

Mr Hebb, who helped to lead the early stages of the inquiry, said: “We are extremely grateful to the football authorities and the footballing community for the sympathy and support which they are showing to the two families.

“The strength of feeling throughout the country has been a great source of strength to Holly and Jessica’s parents at this extremely difficult time.”

* Maxine Carr, 25, was remanded in custody when she appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.