Police at Kemberland Woods where the human remains were found

Human bones found in woodland could be those of a man who went missing almost 20 years ago, police said today.

A post-mortem examination yesterday failed to establish a cause of death for the skeletal remains discovered at Kemberland Wood near Canterbury.

Kent Police have now confirmed the skeleton is of a man, but further tests will be needed to determine the age.

And officers are following the line of inquiry he was a missing person from the late 1990s.

The skeleton was found amid dense trees and thickets at the site, just off the A291 outside Sturry, last Thursday morning by a member of the public.

Kemberland Woods was cordoned off by police

Police officers sealed off the wood 150 yards from Herne Bay Road and spent two days picking through the undergrowth.

The remains - which had been in the woodland for "some time" are skeletal and it is understood the limbs had become detached from the torso.

Kent Police spokesman Jane Walker said: "A post-mortem examination has taken place, but it was not possible to establish a cause of death.

"Our investigations will continue and follow the line that this was potentially a missing person from the late 1990s."