Foetus remains discovered in Stonyhurst
Police are investigating
Last updated 12th Aug 2026
Police are investigating, after the discovery of remains of a foetus in Stonyhurst.
At 3:13pm on Tuesday 11th August, officers were called to reports of the discovery, close to the area beneath Hodder Bridge, Whalley Road.
Officers attended and a scene guard is currently in place, with inquiries ongoing.
This was found in a wooded area on the Mitton side of the river under the Hodder Bridge on Whalley Road in Stonyhurst, Clitheroe.
It was later discovered that the bag contained the remains of a foetus.
An investigation into how it came to be there has been opened and detectives have been conducting inquiries throughout the day. The cordon remain in place, while forensic inquiries continue.
At this time, police do not believe the foetus to be full term, but inquiries to determine the exact point of gestation are ongoing. Inquiries are also ongoing, to identify the mother, who officers are very concerned about.
There will have been people visiting the area over the weekend and into this week. If you have been in that area this weekend, please get in touch with police.
Officers are particularly keen to speak to a man, who was in the area with two children, on Tuesday, between 1pm and 3pm.
It's a picturesque place, where people come to visit and take photos. If you have images from this area from over the weekend and the beginning of this week, officers would be very interested in speaking to you.
DCI Jill Vescovi of the Force Major Investigation Team said: “We have a live investigation underway following the devastatingly sad discovery of this little one. Our enquiries are in their very early stages, and we are working to determine the important facts.
“What we do know is that it is really important for us to find the mother of this baby. We are concerned about her health, and her welfare, and urgently need to identify her and speak to her.
“I know that she must have been through something horrific, and she may be frightened about coming forward. We need to speak to her so that we can find out what happened, and so that we are able to give her baby the goodbye they deserve.
“I want to make a direct appeal to her today to ask her to please come forward and speak to us, or someone she trusts who will make a report. We want to make sure you are safe and that you have had any relevant treatment you may need.
“It’s also really important that we speak to people who were in the area recently, to help us try and determine how the foetus came to be in this area. Someone will know what has happened, and it is my, and my team’s job to find out exactly what. We have enquiries ongoing, but we need your help. If you know anything, no matter how insignificant you may think it is, please get in touch with us.”
If you can assist inquiries, in any way, please call 101, quoting log 0864 of 11th August.