MYSTERY today surrounds the discovery of what is thought to be a human skull in a tranquil village on the Suffolk and Essex border.

Russell Claydon

MYSTERY today surrounds the discovery of what is thought to be a human skull in a tranquil village on the Suffolk and Essex border.

A member of the public contacted police after stumbling across the remains while out walking in Ashen, south of Stoke-By-Clare.

A cordon was put up at the scene while officers carefully recovery the skull from a ditch.

Forensic teams are being bought in to examine Thursday's find as part of an ongoing investigation.

It is not yet known how old the remains are, though they are believed to date back many years.

A spokeswoman for Essex police said: “We were contacted just before 2pm on Thursday, January 21st by a member of the public who reporting he had found a skull in Upper Farm Road in Ashen.

“We recovered the skull from a ditch and it will be forensically examined as soon as possible.

“We are unable to confirm the origin of the skull at this time but it is thought to be human.

“The skull will be examined by experts who will be able to give approximate age but it could be extremely old or date back to the war years.”

She added: “No other bones have been found.”

Meanwhile, at The Lion at Stoke-by-Clare, the nearest pub to the find, it has become the hot topic of conversation for a number of locals.

Luke Clifton, landlord at the pub, one mile away from Ashen, said: “We have got people who live in Ashen come down and have mentioned it - they have not got a clue what it is about.”

He said the person who discovered it also remained a mystery.

Karen Melville-Ross, the clerk of Ashen Parish Council, said the news had shocked the small community.

“It is a very tiny village and it is not the sort of place you normally find a skull in a ditch,” she said.