Human Head and Torso Found at Golf Club in Bournemouth

An investigation is under way after a human head and torso was found hanging from a tree at a golf course in Dorset.

The gruesome discovery was made after a dog retrieved a decomposed human arm from a wooded area at Meyrick Park Golf Club in Bournemouth.

The dog's owner then alerted police, who discovered a human head and torso around 40ft up a tree.

Police said the remains belonged to someone who committed suicide at the ground and had been there for some time. Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

Det insp Mark Samuel said the remains were in "an advanced state of decomposition". Tests are being carried out to determine if the body is male or female.

Samuel added: "A member of the public was walking a dog across the golf course when a discovery was made of what we believe is a human hand.

"As a result we cordoned off a certain area of the golf course and a search is continuing.

"We have employed the use of a specialist dog team from South Wales police and they are trained in recovering body parts.

"We have found what we believe are additional body parts up a tree in the wooded area at the side of the golf course.

"It's very high and we have got a specialist team of officers assessing the site at the moment so we can recover the body parts with dignity and preserve any evidence.

"At this stage it's the assessment of the site and then clearly to identify the body so we can inform any relevant next of kin and also to investigate the cause of death on behalf of the coroner."

Holes three, four and five at the course are currently closed while the investigation takes place.