Police in Devon have found human remains during the investigation into the disappearance of a missing teenager, a development that has been described as a significant turn in the case. According to the report, officers were called to the River Taw at Sticklepath, in the Barnstaple area, after suspected human remains were seen in the water, and emergency services then located those remains.
The discovery has not yet been formally confirmed as that of the missing person. According to the report, a formal identification has yet to take place, but the family of the 15-year-old at the centre of the case have been informed of the development and are being supported by specialist officers as the investigation continues.
The teenager had been missing for several weeks. According to the report, the 15-year-old was first reported missing on Friday 8 May, and in the time since, the case had grown into a major investigation involving police searches across the area around the river and its estuary.
The inquiry has already led to an arrest. According to the report, in mid-June a 20-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the disappearance, but was later released on bail while the investigation remained ongoing, according to police.
The search effort had been extensive in the lead-up to the discovery. According to the report, Devon and Cornwall Police had carried out extensive searches around the river involving highly trained and specialist teams, a sonar-equipped boat, divers, drones, search dogs and the police helicopter, with the coastguard also consulted over tidal flows in the estuary.
Despite those earlier efforts, the breakthrough came only in recent hours. According to the report, the remains had not been located during the previous searches, but officers were called to the River Taw in the afternoon after the suspected human remains were spotted in the water, and the force has said it will provide further updates as the case develops.