KINGSTON, April 27: Police investigating the death of Bob Woolmer have ruled out the possibility that snake venom was involved.

Mark Sheilds, who is leading the investigation, told the BBC that there was no evidence to support that theory, and he also hit out at ‘wild’ rumours which continue to surround the case, saying they were ‘causing a lot of distress’ to Woolmer's family.

Answering questions from the media, Shields also said that CCTV footage from outside Woolmer's hotel room had been examined and the police had "an array of photographs which may or may not help in the investigation". He added that reports footage had shown a man leaving the room may be inaccurate as cameras on that floor were near the elevators.

“The priority is to see the truth,” he concluded. “We are seeking experts and taking time to conduct a thorough investigation.”

Woolmer's body is expected to leave Jamaica on Friday and will be flown to South Africa.

An inquest into Woolmer's death was due to get underway on Monday but was indefinitely postponed because of what the coroner described as ‘significant developments’.—Agencies