School to erase signs of Huntley

The site will be made anonymous rather than turned into a memorial

Soham Village College is to eliminate all trace of the house where Ian Huntley murdered Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman from its grounds.

Principal Howard Gilbert said the site of the house where the pair were murdered would be landscaped after its demolition on Saturday morning.

A storage hangar where Huntley hid the girls' clothes is also to be torn down.

Mr Gilbert said the plan to landscape over the two areas had been drawn up in consultation with their parents.

The idea will be to make them anonymous areas and completely disguise them so there will be no trace of their existence in the future Head teacher Howard Gilbert

He said: "They did not want the site turned into any kind of memorial garden - and nor do I.

"The two sites will either be concreted over or landscaped.

"The idea will be to make them anonymous areas and completely disguise them so there will be no trace of their existence in the future.

"The final details have not been worked out yet. Initially the areas will be laid to turf until the plans are finalised."

Rubble from the house will be crushed to deter souvenir hunters

The head teacher watched as builders armed with a giant wrecking ball took just over half an hour to reduce Huntley's two-storey house to rubble.

Holly and Jessica's parents did not attend the operation at 5 College Close.

"People have found it very difficult having to walk past the house every day," said Mr Gilbert.

"I think when we start next term there will be a sense of a burden being lifted."

Secretly dispersed

The property, which came with Huntley's job as caretaker at Soham Village College, had been screened off from public view for months.

Most of the interior was ripped out for evidence in Huntley's trial at the Old Bailey, which ended in December.

Huntley, now 30, was sentenced to two life terms for murdering Holly and Jessica, both aged 10 and pupils at the neighbouring St Andrew's primary, at the house in August 2002.

Police officers, officials from Cambridgeshire County Council and security staff watched the demolition in silence.

Rubble from the house will be crushed and secretly dispersed to prevent any bricks becoming souvenirs.