The identity of a skull discovered outside a derelict Bolton hotel will remain a mystery as experts have completed their investigations without a name.
A skull was found alongside a grey camouflage jacket in the grounds of Egerton House Hotel, on Blackburn Road, by two self-described 'ghost hunters' last March 1.
An inquest this morning (February 23) heard that Greater Manchester Police used DNA to try and identify who the grizzly finding belonged to, but it was unable to find a match.
Experts in anthropology and radio carbon dating concluded that the skull belonged to a man, who was likely aged 32 to 58 years old at the time of death, and probably died between 1801 and 1953.
Recording an open conclusion at Bolton Coroners Court, coroner Prof Alan Walsh admitted: "It's frustrating, but both the police and coroner can only rely on the evidence that is available and the evidence that can be produced."
The court heard that police had used all lines of enquiry available to them to determine who the skull belonged to except searching for the soil found on the skull, as it could have come from anywhere in the world, making the search 'disproportionate'.
Det Insp Deborah Hurst, from GMP, confirmed that the force received a report of a human skull being found alongside a jacket and the possibility of 'more remains' at the Egerton House Hotel.
Officers searched the site, which has stood derelict since the hotel closed in 2014, along with an archaeologist and anthropologist.
Det Insp Hurst said the grey camouflage jacket appeared to have been 'exposed to the elements' and 'was not particularly old', while the skull was seen 'resting on wet leaves'.
She told the court no forms of ID were seen in the jacket, and while the scene was excavated as far down as 'Victorian flagstones', no other human remains were found.
A woman living close to the hotel told GMP she walked through the area daily and had never noticed the skull or jacket before, but could recall a gathering there around two-and-a-half years before the discovery.
Det Insp Hurst said: "[She said] there was a group of people that had been filming a music video around 50 yards from the scene.
"The inference was it was quite a busy area and if the skull had been there that group filming might have found it."
The court heard that police also spoke to a caretaker who said CCTV was installed at the site after the hotel's closure due to regular anti-social behaviour, but police were unable to find evidence linked to the skull from the footage.
Police confirmed that Egerton House Hotel was built in the 1860s as a residential home, and there had been no evidence found that it was ever used as a burial site.
Officers interviewed the two 'ghost hunters' under caution following their discovery, but found no evidence of criminality, the court heard.
Det Insp Hurst said: "They explained that they explore derelict buildings. That's the reason they were there on the night.
"They noticed that jacket, and on close inspection they noticed the skull. They said they were not regular visitors to the site, this was an off-chance first visit."
Forensic scientist Dominic Monaghan, who conducted an anthropology examination on the skull, checked the skull for clues on how old the person was.
He reported that it would be 'more reliable' to have seen the entire skeleton, but concluded it was 'most likely' the skull belonged to an adult male, with an age range given of 32 to 58.
Mr Monaghan also found that damage on the skull appeared to have taken place following the death, with no signs of injury suffered prior to that, and there was some soil present.
While suggesting the condition of the skull meant it was 'more likely to be modern', he recommended that radio carbon dating was carried out to determine how much nuclear the person would have been exposed to.
This would allow experts to see whether the person lived during the time of most nuclear activity, in the 1950s up to 1963, the court heard.
Prof Gordon Cook carried out the work and reported a low level of exposure to nuclear, concluding that it was around 80% likely the person had died at some point between 1801 and 1953.
Concluding, Prof Walsh said it was not possible to name who the skull belonged to, where he had died or when - but could confirm it was male and found at Egerton House Hotel on March 1, 2021.
He accepted the findings of the man's age being 32 to 58 and having died between 1801 and 1953, but said that this was 'based on the balance of probability' and could not be more specific.
Prof Walsh added: "GMP conducted a very thorough investigation.
"GMP included in that investigation all avenues of enquiry and relied on expert evidence."
Arrangements are being made for the skull to be buried, with Det Insp Hurst confirming it could be dug up if more evidence about the person it belonged to is found at a later date.
