Human remains, including parts of an arm and a jaw, were discovered in a garden on Church Grove in Ladywell, Lewisham, South London, on Saturday, 12 April. The unsettling find prompted an immediate police investigation, with officers responding to the scene shortly after the remains were spotted.
The Metropolitan Police were alerted at approximately 2.08 pm following reports of the discovery. The garden is situated just a five-minute walk from St Mary’s Primary School on Lewisham High Street, raising concerns among local residents about the proximity of the remains to a site frequented by children.
According to reports from the local Church Grove community project, the remains were uncovered unexpectedly while volunteers were constructing a play area. A jawbone was noticed falling out of a gravel bag, prompting further examination of the site. A resident described the impact on the community, telling The Sun newspaper, “You see this stuff on the news, but it was right outside our front door. It’s so much more immediate, you just never think something like this will happen so close to you. We are extremely shaken, I think the whole community is. Tiny kids were playing right next to literal bits of human arm.” The individual added, “I’ve literally just had a baby, it’s absolutely terrifying, we moved her to be safe we just don’t know what to do.”
In response, the Met Police confirmed that the remains are of ‘interest’ in an ongoing enquiry, with officers conducting extensive searches in the vicinity for any additional human body parts or related evidence. A spokesperson for the Met stated: “On Saturday, 12 April police were called at 2.08pm to Church Grove, SE13 following reports that human remains had been unearthed in a garden. There have been no arrests at this stage and officers are working to establish an identity, although the remains are thought to be non-recent. Enquiries are ongoing and a crime scene remains in place.”
The investigation is active, with police urging anyone with information or visual media related to the incident to come forward. This discovery has drawn significant attention within the local community given the garden’s proximity to a primary school and the unsettling nature of the find. Authorities continue to prioritise establishing the origin and identity of the human remains as part of their ongoing enquiries.
Source: Noah Wire Services