UK NEWS

HEAD ON BEACH TO BE IDENTIFIED

Police and forensic teams search for clues

Thursday April 3,2008

By Nicola McCafferty for express.co.uk

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AN artist’s impression of the woman whose severed head was discovered by two children is expected to be released today.

The head was found in a plastic bag by two sisters on the seafront at Arbroath, Angus in Scotland on Tuesday morning.

After a thorough search of the shoreline police later uncovered two hands. No other body parts have been found and the beach has since been reopened.

The sisters, aged eight and 11, made the grim discovery around 10.30am on Tuesday.

Officers are yet to identify the woman, whose description does not match any missing persons from the Tayside Police force area.

They hope today’s expected release of an artist’s impression will lead them closer to a “crucial” breakthrough in the investigation.

Detective Chief Inspector Graham McMillan, who is leading the investigation, said the woman was believed to have been in her mid 20s to mid 30s, with brown eyes, brown eyebrows and shoulder-length brown hair.

He added: “She had a pale complexion with light freckling over the cheeks and bridge of her nose. There is also a distinctive depressed circular scar in the middle of her forehead, just below the hair line.

“Her nails were short but appear to have been well maintained and groomed.”

Mr McMillan said the woman’s ears were not pierced.

Tayside Police said a number of scientific tests, including DNA extraction and examination of bones would be carried out to try to establish a more exact age of the woman.

Dental records will also be examined.

The police investigation team is searching missing persons’ databases all over Europe and officers say the search could be expanded worldwide.

At present the case is not being treated as murder.

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