SPECIALIST officers are continuing to carry out a meticulous forensic examination of a large site in Sticker, near St Austell, as part of an ongoing murder investigation.

A 39-year-old man has appeared in court charged with murder after human remains, believed to be those of Daniel Coleman from St Austell, were found in the village.

James Desborough, of Old Oak Woods, Lower Sticker, has been remanded in custody and will next appear before Truro Crown Court on August 8.

Detective superintendent Kev Till said: “This is an extremely complex and unique investigation with experts working methodically across a large and challenging area of woodland.

“Our enquiries are progressing with diligence and a significant police presence is expected to remain at the scene into the coming weeks.

“Human remains being carefully recovered at the site are believed to be those of Daniel Coleman from St Austell.

“Formal identification is yet to take place, and we expect this to take some time.

“Searches are continuing in order to fully understand what happened to Daniel and for us to be able to provide answers for his family.

“A suspect has appeared in court charged with murder and we would urge people not to speculate on this case, especially on social media, and risk prejudicing these ongoing proceedings.”

Members of the public with concerns can contact the police via the website at www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us-beta/contact-us or by calling 101.

Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling freephone 0800 555111.