Man charged over body parts find

Published on Friday 9 January 2009 09:03

A MAN has been charged over the discovery of a human head and bones in a shopping bag on a footpath, police said today.

The 54-year-old is accused of defeating the ends of justice after the remains were found in a blue Ikea bag in Newhaven, Edinburgh, on Wednesday, December 31.

He will appear at the city's Sheriff Court later today.

The badly decomposed head is from an adult woman and bones found alongside the skull appear to belong to the same person, police believe.

Detectives say she could have died between a few months and several years ago.

Forensic experts have been investigating the remains to establish the woman's identity, ethnicity and cause of death, which is being treated as suspicious.

Other bags found at the scene in Hawthornvale contained bones and "various materials" but police would not reveal what they were.

The National Database for missing persons is being cross-referenced to see if the remains match anyone declared missing across the country.

A detailed search of the area where the bag was dumped is being carried out.

It is not known when the bag was dumped but police believe it will have been relatively recently.

Lothian and Borders Police said in a statement: "A 54-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the discovery of human remains at Hawthornvale on Wednesday, December 31."