A murder inquiry has been launched after a man discovered a woman's skull while cycling with his children in west London on the night of the solar eclipse. The find, which followed a wildfire in the area, has prompted a large police search in Feltham that uncovered further remains.
Discovery at Bedfont Lakes
Specialist teams and forensics officers were called to Bedfont Lakes County Park, where crowds had gathered on August 12 to view the eclipse. The father, accompanied by four children, spotted the skull and reported it to police, later taking officers to the location.
The remains are thought to belong to a woman aged between 25 and 45. A wildfire in shrubbery in the parkland, known locally as the Pits, left the human remains visible.
Residents react
Donna Hardman, who lives in Padstow Walk house next to the park, told Metro: 'We are all in total shock.' She added: 'A dad out with his kids found a skull on the night of the eclipse. A lot of people had gathered there and it was a nice atmosphere. It must have been just horrible to stumble across something like that with your kids. The dark of the eclipse was obviously a bit creepy and then to find something like this. He seemed to handle it well though, he was calm under the pressure.'
Resident Louise Benn told Metro: 'It's obviously very worrying. It's like we are living on the set of a crime drama. I feel for the guy who found the skull with his kids, that's a difficult thing to explain away.'
Police investigation ongoing
Police have said it is unclear how long the remains had been at the site. Locals told Metro the parkland had previously been flat with less shrubbery until it was landscaped about a decade ago. A third neighbour said: 'You could see everything in the park it was in the eyeline of the houses so anything untoward would probably have been spotted. It was only the recent fire which uncovered the remains.'
Police were called to the scene at 6.35pm on August 12 and are still working there. Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, who is leading the investigation, said: 'We have launched a murder investigation following the discovery of these remains and are working to establish the full circumstances of what happened while keeping an open mind.'
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101. To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
