A murder investigation has been launched after human remains were found in a pond in Harlow, Essex.
The discovery was made on New Year’s Eve after a ‘suspicious object’ was found in the water at Oakwood Pond.
Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby told reporters that police believe the person’s death is suspicious.
He added that officers are still working to identify the victim.
Mr Kirby said it is still ‘too early’ to identify any characteristics like age, gender or ethnicity.
Answering questions from reporters about how long the victim had been there, he said: ‘Some witnesses have indicated that the human remains have been there for some time.’
Pressed on if this meant days, weeks or months, he responded: ‘I think the indication is several weeks certainly.’
Police are currently unsure at this stage if the human remains are linked to a missing person’s case.
Officers are keeping an ‘open mind’ and ‘working relentlessly’ to establish more facts.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
