Police searching for amputee over mystery of severed foot found on path

Police are urging female amputees to come forward to help solve the mystery of a human foot found on a footpath in Lincolnshire.

Officers discovered the foot close to an old railway track at Louth Road, in New Waltham, in April 2019.

Detectives carrying out investigations to identify where the foot came from said one line of inquiry was that the foot may have been clinical waste from a medical procedure.

Humberside Police are now hoping to hear from any women who have had their left foot medically removed since 2014 in an attempt to put the case to rest.

Forensic examinations carried out shortly after the discovery of the body part led to the conclusion it was that of a woman aged over 16 and around 5ft 2ins tall, the force said.

Extensive investigations have been carried out over the last two years into missing people, forensic testing and DNA analysis but no match had been found.

Detective chief inspector Alan Curtis, senior investigating officer in the case, said: “A team of detectives have been working tirelessly to ascertain the identity of the individual and to determine how the body part came to be on the path.

“One line of our inquiry is that the foot may have been clinical waste from a medical procedure. This line of enquiry cannot be ruled out without a full and thorough investigation.

“Although this must seem a very strange request we are now appealing for any female in the Humberside Police Force area and Lincolnshire that has had a medical procedure to remove her left foot since 2014 to contact us.”

Curtis continued: “If you have had such a medical procedure in the past eight years, whether through the NHS or through private medical services, I would ask you to call us. Your call will be treated with the utmost respect and privacy.

“I encourage anyone that would be in this category of amputees to contact us.”