“Homeowner horrified”: Builders find human bones while renovating bungalow

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Builders renovating a recently purchased bungalow in Biggin Hill, South London, made a grim discovery while digging up the back patio last Friday

- The Metropolitan Police confirmed the bones were human after specialist examination, with further tests underway to determine their age and identity

- Neighbours said the new owner had not yet moved in and described the street being cordoned off for six days as forensic teams swept the property

A woman who purchased a bungalow in Biggin Hill, South London, has been left shaken after builders carrying out renovation work unearthed human bones buried in the property's garden.

The discovery was made last Friday when workers digging up the rear patio came across the remains. Police were immediately called to the scene, and part of the street was cordoned off as forensic teams moved in to examine the area.

What officers found at the Biggin Hill Property

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that specialist examination established the bones to be human.

"The bones were sent for specialist examination and were confirmed to be human," a force spokesperson said. "However, further testing is underway to establish the age of the bones and ascertain identity."

Investigators say work continues to determine the full circumstances surrounding the find.

Neighbours described six days of significant police activity outside the two-bedroom home, with officers present around the clock, blue forensic tents erected across the grounds, and temporary fencing sealing off the driveway.

Utility companies were also required to disconnect electricity, gas and water supplies to the property while the investigation was carried out.

Officers were reportedly seen placing evidence onto green trays as forensic teams combed through the site methodically.

The new owner had not yet moved in

Residents living nearby told reporters that the property had only recently changed hands. An elderly woman had occupied it for many years before moving away, after which the new buyer purchased it with plans to refurbish it entirely before taking up residence.

"Nobody lives there at the moment," one neighbour said. "The builders discovered something on Friday and of course they completely had to stop work."

A second neighbour said the experience must have been deeply distressing for the buyer.

"The woman who's bought the property is having renovations done. She must be absolutely horrified," the neighbour said, recalling how a grab lorry had only just cleared rubbish from the driveway before a police vehicle pulled up and officers sealed the scene.

Local planning records show that an application for a single-storey rear extension had been submitted for the property, suggesting substantial renovation work was already planned before the discovery brought everything to a halt.

The cordon has since been lifted after police secured the building, though the investigation remains open.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.