Horrified beachgoers have told how the 'headless' body of a child that washed up at a tourist spot was reportedly mistaken for a doll.
The remains of the youngster, thought to be aged between two and three, were discovered on the sand early on Tuesday morning at a beach in the Costa Dorada resort of Roda de Bera in the east coast province of Tarragona.
A council cleaner made the grim find and alerted his bosses who called police. The body of the child, said to be missing other body parts as well as its head and thought to have been washed onto the beach from the water, is understood to be in a state of decomposition, the Mirror reports.
READ MORE: Spain beach horror as 'headless' child's body found in Costa Dorada resort
Civil Guard officers have cordoned off the area and are moving locals and holidaymakers on to other areas of the sand before an investigating judge authorises the removal of the body.
Roda de Bera mayor Pere Virgili has been quoted in local press as saying the youngster could have been on a migrant boat which capsized in the Mediterranean.
The town hall said in a tweet: “We inform you that this morning the body of a two to three-year-old child was found on the shoreline on the Costa Dorada beach.
“The area is cordoned off and officials are waiting for the judge to authorise the removal of the body. We ask the public to avoid the area.”
Roda de Bera is a 25-minute drive north of Tarragona. Barcelona is just over an hour’s drive north.
The town, well-known thanks to its Roman arch, was mainly dedicated exclusively to agriculture until the second half of the 20th century when it became an important tourist spot on the Costa Dorada.
The Civil Guard, which is investigating, has yet to make any official comment.
