It started off ‘innocently’ enough. A single foot found in the grass by a dog walker.
Now? Three feet have turned up. Just the feet mind, no other body parts. It’s certainly macabre. Could this be put down to a prank by medical students, or is there something more sinister ‘afoot’?
A police spokesman confirmed that officers were called shortly after 8am on February 19 to reports that a member of the public had found a “suspicious item” in Weston Park, Bath, UK. A woman’s dog had found the item and had been sniffing it, but under closer inspection it turned out to be a human leftfoot. Simon Clarke, a part time Bath Spa University lecturer who was also walking his dog at the time, stated “It was lying on the grass, severed about four inches above the ankle. It looks like quite an old foot and it might have been unearthed. It’s almost certainly a human foot and it looks real as opposed to a fake foot that someone put there. Obviously it’s quite frosty so it was covered in frost.”
“It’s not as dramatic as it is on the telly,” he added.
After nearly four months of investigation, in May, police admitted they were satisfied no crime had been committed, and that the first foot was an anatomical teaching aid. Initial tests proved the foot was human, but follow-up forensic analysis showed the foot contained very little DNA.Avon and Somerset Police’s Detective Inspector Paul Catton said he suspected the mystery foot could have come from a school or college in the surrounding area.
“The public really want answers and I want answers. I want to hear from any colleges or buildings that were previously schools and may have owned items like this. I’ll be asking them if they’ve cleared out any cellars recently, that kind of thing.”
A second left foot was found some time later, in the grounds of a nearby garden, in July.
This Wednesday (3rd August) a third foot was discovered in another garden and has been sent for forensic analysis.
All three feet have been found within a few hundred yards of each other.
Following a comprehensive investigation it was concluded that the first foot was more than likely to be an exhibit from a medical or educational establishment and was not the result of a crime. It is anticipated that the second foot, which is still undergoing tests, is likely to be linked to this.
The same officers are looking into the latest discoveries and will look to confirm beyond all reasonable doubt that they are linked and if there are any new lines of inquiry which can be taken forward.