Dad cycling with his children discovers woman’s skull in London park after wildfire
A murder inquiry has been launched after a man uncovered a woman’s skull while on a bike ride.
The discovery was made out while the father was cycling with his children in a parkland in west London on the night of the solar eclipse, residents in the area told Metro.
The find, which followed a wildfire in the area, has prompted a huge police search in Feltham, which turned up more remains.
Specialist teams were called to the area, with forensics officers combing through Bedfont Lakes County Park.
Crowds had gathered at the park to view the eclipse on August 12 when the dad, accompanied by four children, spotted the skull.
The community has hypothesised that the remains could be another victim of serial killer Levi Bellfield, though there is no formal basis for these claims.
Bellfield, who was brought up in the Hounslow area near the crime scene murdered Milly Dowler who was walking home in Walton-on- Thames, Surrey – just a few miles from Feltham – in 2002.
He also killed Marsha McDonnell, 19, in 2003, and 22-year-old Amelie Delagrange in 2004. He attempted to kill Kate Sheedy, 18, who survived his attack.
He is now serving a full life term in prison.
Louise Benn, who lives next to the Feltham crime scene, told Metro: ‘The talk around here is that it could be another Levi Bellfield victim. It’s only rumour but he is well known around here and this was his patch. We expect the police will be looking into that.’
Another neighbour in Feltham told us: ‘All the gossip here is pointing at Bellfield but no one has any concrete information.’
The police have said at this early stage of the investigation they cannot comment on the speculation.
Donna Hardman, who lives in Padstow Walk house next to the park, told Metro: ‘We are all in total shock.
‘A dad out with his kids found a skull on the night of the eclipse. A lot of people had gathered there and it was a nice atmosphere.
‘It must have been just horrible to stumble across something like that with your kids. The dark of the eclipse was obviously a bit creepy and then to find something like this.
‘He seemed to handle it well though, he was calm under the pressure.’
A wildfire in shrubbery in the parkland, known to locals as the Pits,left the human remains visible.
Resident Louise Benn told Metro: ‘It’s obviously very worrying.
‘It’s like we are living on the set of a crime drama. I feel for the guy who found the skull with his kids, that’s a difficult thing to explain away.’
Police have said it is unclear how long the remains had been at the site where they were found. Locals told Metro the parkland had previously been flat and with less shrubbery until it was landscaped about a decade ago.
A third neighbour said: ‘You could see everything in the park it was in the eyeline of the houses so anything untoward would probably have been spotted. It was only the recent fire which uncovered the remains.’
Police were called to the scene at 6.35pm on August 12. They are still working at the scene.
Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘We have launched a murder investigation following the discovery of these remains and are working to establish the full circumstances of what happened while keeping an open mind.’
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.
To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Deputy Editor
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