Severed head found at quarry in Cambridgeshire

Police have launched an investigation across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

The head was found on 16 May 2016 at the Mepal quarry in Block Fen Drove, Cambridgeshire (Google Streetview)

A severed head has been found in a quarry in Cambridgeshire, prompting a major investigation by police.

An employee at Mepal quarry made the gruesome discovery on Monday afternoon and officers are working to confirm how long the remains have been at the site.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: "We were called at about 3pm yesterday afternoon with reports of the discovery of a human head at a quarry in Mepal.

"Officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit are conducting enquiries, both locally and across the county borders."

It was not known whether the head was male or female and ther person's identity has not been confirmed.

Detective Inspector Jerry Waite said officers were also carrying out searches at a site in Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, where police believe the remains may have come from.

A spokesman for Mick George Ltd, the company that runs the Mepal quarry, said: "We are working closely with the police and providing them with all the information they need to undertake their investigations."