Human skeletal remains have been unearthed in a wooded area alongside a busy bypass road.
The grim discovery was made by members of the public near the A617 Rainworth Bypass, Nottinghamshire, at 2.45pm on Saturday afternoon (May 23). Officers confirmed the remains are believed to belong to a single individual, whose identity has yet to be established, with a dedicated team of officers working to determine this as swiftly as possible.
A substantial police cordon encircling the wooded area remains firmly in place. It would be manned by officers “for a number of days,” according to Detective Inspector Matt Scott.
DI Scott said: “I understand a report of this nature will likely cause concern among the community; however, I would like to offer my reassurance this incident poses no risk to public safety,” reports Nottinghamshire Live.
“We have a dedicated team of specialist forensic officers carrying out lines of inquiry. This will help us better understand the circumstances of how the body came to be there and see if there is more information about the death which can be gathered.”
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The force also stated that “residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area” as the “complex investigation” continues into next week.
“Any discovery of human remains is taken extremely seriously. A thorough investigation is being carried out and we are keeping an open mind at this time,” DI Scott added.
“We would like to thank the public for their patience. We know the effect this investigation will have had on residents living in the area.”