THE MYSTERY of Hoe Road could be revealed in just three days' time, say police.

Officers investigating the Bishop's Waltham home announced yesterday that they were on the verge of lifting the veil of secrecy on the week-long search.

Police at the semi-detached home in Hoe Road have been tight-lipped about the search - saying only that it was based on an "intelligence tip-off" and that the house could be a historical crime scene.

Speculation has been rife in the quiet cul-de-sac that officers are seeking human remains.

This weekend, activity around the house had quietened down but one police officer stood guard outside the front, recording the names of everyone who stepped foot on the property's driveway.

He told the Daily Echo that the mystery would be revealed in a few days' time.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "It's really weird. It's gone a bit quiet this weekend but there's been someone outside the whole time. It's all speculation at the moment."

Officers have been conducting a thorough search of the home, owned by notorious drug smuggler John Howett, currently serving 12 years in Parkhurst Prison.

His wife Tracey is believed to have moved to a hotel in the Portsmouth area while police search the house.

Forensic teams have been focusing on the back of the property, where they dug up patches of the garden and used sonar equipment.

Rolled-up carpets, three mattresses, boxes of files and three interior doors have also been taken for further examination and police also removed a number of items in a sealed bag.