Detectives probing the discovery of a human head at a Fenland quarry at Mepal between Chatteris and Ely believe it may have come from Bedfordshire.

Within the last few minutes police revealed their inquiries have switched to Sharnbrook in Bedfordshire 'as we believe this is where the remains may have come from'.

Officers were called at about 3pm yesterday afternoon after a worker at the quarry in Block Fen Drove made the discovery.

Detective Inspector Jerry Waite, from the Beds, Cambs and Herts Major Crime Unit (MCU), said: 'We are conducting inquiries both locally and across the county borders, and would urge anyone with information about the finding to contact us.

'At this stage we do not know if the head is male or female, however we have got officers carrying out searches at a site in Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, as we believe this is where the remains may have come from.'

Anyone with information is asked to call the Major Crime Unit on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Police have stressed that it is a head and not a skull and are trying to discover how long it has been there.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police said: 'We were called at about 3pm yesterday afternoon (Monday, May 16) with reports of the discovery of a human head at a quarry in Mepal.

The spokesman stressed the discovery was a head - not a skull - and that the remains have been passed to the coroner for post mortem.

A spokesman for Mick George Ltd, which has an aggregates and landfill site there, told the BBC: 'We are working closely with the police and providing them with all the information they need to undertake their investigations.

'At this point we can not provide any further comments.'

A number of companies operate out of Mepal quarry and many extract aggregates to be used in the building industry.