Girls did not die in woods

Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were almost certainly not killed at the spot where they were found and further charges against Maxine Carr could not be ruled out, the inquest into their deaths was told today.

Their bodies were found in a "severely decomposed and partially skeletonised" state, the coroner heard.

Initial post-mortem examinations of the remains of the two murdered 10-year-olds, found in an isolated spot near Lakenheath, Suffolk, last Saturday proved inconclusive.

Further analysis of the decomposed bodies must now be carried out and the process is expected to take some weeks.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Hebb, who helped to lead the initial stages of the inquiry, was giving evidence at the inquest at Shire Hall in Cambridge.

Today's hearing was adjourned to a later date and the families of the girls were not expected to attend, although the inquest heard that Jessica's parents have asked for an order allowing her to be cremated and Holly's family wish her to be buried.

Yesterday police investigating the double murder have searched the home of the alleged killer's grandmother.

The hunt came as forensic teams continued to scour the house of Ian Huntley, 28, who has been charged with the murder of the girls and is being detained in Rampton Hospital while psychiatric tests are completed. 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. Kevin Huntley today said he was too frightened to return home.

Mr Huntley, 47, is quitting his job as a school caretaker at Littleport primary and leaving the area, terrified his family could be targeted by angry crowds. "I am never going back to that place. It is no longer my home," he said. "I have lost my job and my house. You cannot have the father of a murder suspect being caretaker of a school with 400 children."

A friend said the family were "terrified" and a neighbour added: "Everyone around here is so angry about Holly and Jessica that Kevin could get lynched, even though he's an innocent man."

Today the mother of Maxine Carr, Huntley's girlfriend who is on remand charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, urged people to wait for the truth to come out.

Shirley Capp, 56, of Grimsby, said: "Maxine hasn't been charged with murder, yet she's being treated like a killer. She's terrified. When this is over and the truth comes out we'll have something to say."

The alleged double murderer of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman has been sacked from his job as college caretaker in their home town, it emerged today.

Ian Huntley, 28, was suspended earlier in the week after he was charged with murdering the 10-year-olds and sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

A meeting of the governors of Soham Village College decided last night that it would be "untenable" for him to return to work at the college - under any circumstances - and terminated his contract with immediate effect, said a spokesman for Cambridgeshire County Council.

"The governing body terminated his employment on the grounds that whatever the outcome of the legal proceedings it would be untenable for him to return," the spokesman said.