The skeleton of a baby has been found beneath floorboards by contractors renovating a property in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
Durham Constabulary said the human remains were found around 11.15am on Monday, in an upstairs room at a building in Fore Bondgate, a popular shopping street in the market town.
The remains were being recovered from the building on Tuesday, and police were then due to carry out a full search.
Forensics specialists, including an expert anthropologist, have been brought in to examine the skeleton to help determine its age and how long it had been in the property.
Detectives have also begun tracing people who had previously lived at the property.
A post-mortem examination and CT scan are due to take place later this week, to help determine the baby’s cause of death.
Detective Chief Inspector Mel Sutherland, from Durham Constabulary, said on Tuesday: “Our investigations are at an early stage.
“Obviously, this is a sensitive inquiry and at this point we remain open-minded as to the circumstances surrounding the death.”
Photos on Wednesday showed forensics experts wearing white hazmat suits entering a building in Fore Bondgate, one of Bishop Auckland’s oldest streets, home to a variety of shops, cafes, pubs and other businesses.
