Human remains have been discovered by a member of the public in the River Severn.
A passer-by in the village of Cressage, in Shropshire, called the police after spotting what they thought might be human remains in the water.
Officers later confirmed the grim discovery and that the remains had been submerged underwater for a "significant amount of time".
West Merica Police along with fire and rescue services were called to the incident shortly before 9:15pm on Saturday.
They removed the remains from the water.
The cause of death currently isn’t known and an investigation has been launched to try and identify the remains and ascertain what led to them being there.
West Mercia Police said in a statement: "It is thought they have been in the water for a significant amount of time.
"The death is currently being treated as unexplained. An investigation has been launched and all lines of inquiry are being explored."
Detective Chief Inspector John Weaver said: "We are in the very early stages of this investigation and inquiries are ongoing.
"Our priority at this stage is to identify the deceased.
"The remains are being forensically examined and the results will determine the next steps in our investigation.
"This could be a lengthy process but we will update the public in due course."
There will be a police presence at the scene over the coming days as officers continue their investigation into the grim find.
