Bones found washed up on UK beach confirmed as human, say police

04 April 2024 , 08:32

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Bones discovered in the water at Cove Road Beach in Silverdale, Lancashire have been found to be human, police said (stock image)

Bones found on a UK beach are believed to be human, police have said.

Officers were called after bones were uncovered in the water at Cove Road Beach in Silverdale, Lancashire on Easter Sunday. Initial inquiries found that some of the remains are human and are believed to have been in the sea for a 'significant period'. Lancashire Police said they are now 'keeping an open mind' as to their origin.

Anyone who may have information which could assist the police investigation has been asked to come forward. In a statement, a force spokesperson said: "At 4.10pm on March 31 we were called to Cove Road Beach, Silverdale, to reports bones had been found in the water. Our initial enquiries have confirmed that some of the remains are human.

"Although we are keeping an open mind as to the origin of the remains, we believe they have been in the sea for a significant period. Our enquiries are expected to be ongoing for some time and we continue to liaise with HM Coroner. Anyone with information which could assist our investigation is asked to call 101. Quote log 745 of March 31, 2024." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Lancs Police Specialist Ops wrote: "After the discovery of human remains in Morecambe Bay over the weekend, specialist search officers have been conducting further searches near Silverdale."

In an unrelated incident in Sunderland, officers confirmed on Tuesday that suspected remains discovered on local beaches over the last two months were found to be of human origin. Northumbria Police said they were treating the discoveries as "unexplained". A spokesperson for the force said: "We have received reports of bones or suspected body parts being found at Seaburn and Roker beaches in Sunderland over recent weeks. We have now confirmed that some of these are human and we are currently treating the discoveries as unexplained." No arrests have been made.

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It follows the discovery of remains which were also found to be human at nearby Roker Beach earlier this year. Detectives are still investigating the remains discovered on February 13. The force added on the most recent finding: "Enquiries remain ongoing and we anticipate it will take some time before we are able to provide any further updates. Anyone with concerns or information can report these to police using the 'Report' page of our website.”

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas