Human bones found encased in concrete at Mt Eden property

Police cordon on Marlborough St, Mt Eden, where suspected human remains were found. Photo / Alex Burton

Human bones discovered at a Mt Eden property were encased in concrete, the Herald understands.

Police confirmed today the remains found at an address in Mt Eden last week are of human origin.

Contractors renovating a property on Marlborough St found the bones underneath the house on Friday and called police.

The Herald has learned the remains were found encased in concrete.

It is understood to be an adult victim and the death is being treated as suspicious.

It is believed the property used to be a boarding house and its former owner went missing some years ago and has not been seen since.

Police cannot speculate on whether the remains are his, saying it's too early to tell and the investigation is in its very early stages.

Police earlier today said a forensic pathologist attended the scene and has now verified the bones are human.

Acting Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin, of the Auckland City CIB, said police were taking great care removing the remains.

"The immediate focus for police is to identify the deceased," he said.

The death was being treated as unexplained and police were keeping their minds open as detectives tried to work out how and when the person died.

"The nature of the scene and the fact the remains may have been in place for some years make this a challenging investigation."

Members of the public who can help identify the previous owners or occupants of the boarding house are asked to contact police.

"We would like to hear from anyone who previously resided at 3 Marlborough Street, Mt Eden, or anyone who can help us get in touch with those people," Baldwin said.

Scene examinations will continue for the next few days.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Auckland City Police on 105 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.