THE garden and and an interior concrete floor are being excavated as part of the police investigation at the Kent house where human remains were found.

Two sheds have been removed from the back garden of the property in Irvine Drive, Margate, and radar equipment is being used to indicate where there has been underground disturbance.

Detectives have been searching the address in the hope of finding the remains of missing teenager Dinah McNicol, from Tillingham, Essex, who disappeared in 1991.

It was confirmed on Wednesday that a body discovered in a shallow grave there on Monday was not that of 18-year-old Dinah, but rather another girl.

The police investigation began as a search for evidence about missing Dinah, who disappeared in the summer of 1991 after leaving a music festival in Hampshire. Detectives have vowed to complete their task before leaving the terraced property.

Around 30 per cent of the ground work has been carried out focusing on those areas signposted by the ground penetration radar system.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "Whilst this equipment can prove very effective in helping prioritise search areas it does not replace the need to physically excavate the ground.

"This is done by initially digging and removing the top soil around the garden. After that the three forensic archaeologists on site will advise whether or not there are any irregularities in the soil and what further excavation is required.

"Other work is being carried out inside the house including using equipment to excavate areas of the concrete floor on the ground floor. The rest of the ground work is likely to take us until the weekend.

"After this work we'll begin on the rest of the house including the loft to identify any physical or forensic evidence that Dinah has been there."

Officers carried out house-to-house enquiries on Thursday in a bid to collect more clues.

Det Supt Tim Wills of Essex Police: "I am still keen for local people to cast their minds back to the summer of 1991. The focus of this investigation is still on this era when Dinah disappeared.

"I will not leave until I am satisfied that there are no other human remains at this site."