NewsUK NewsNottinghamshire PoliceA member of the public made the grim discovery of skeletal human remains in woodland next to the A617 Rainworth Bypass, Nottinghamshire, with the area now cordoned off19:58, 24 May 2026Updated 19:59, 24 May 2026Human remains have been found in a woodland next to a busy Nottinghamshire road.‌A member of the public made the grim discovery next to the A617 Rainworth Bypass at 2.45pm on Saturday afternoon (May 23).‌Nottinghamshire Police believe the skeletal remains belong to one person with an urgent investigation underway to find out their identity. The force is keeping an "open mind" as to what happened and warned that the investigation could take "some time".‌A large police cordon around the wooded area remains in place and will be guarded by officers "for a number of days," according to Detective Inspector Matt Scott, with the A617 remaining open.READ MORE: Met Office forecasts 35C as weather maps show 18 counties hitting 34C – listREAD MORE: Hungry dog turns BBQ into 'the most expensive ever' with £5,000 vet billHe said: "I understand a report of this nature will likely cause concern among the community; however, I would like to offer my reassurance this incident poses no risk to public safety.‌"Whilst the investigation is still in its early stages, following inquiries carried out so far, I can confirm that the remains we have found are believed to be of one person."The identity of this person is yet to be established but a dedicated team of officers are working to confirm this as soon as possible. We have a dedicated team of specialist forensic officers carrying out lines of inquiry. This will help us better understand the circumstances of how the body came to be there and see if there is more information about the death which can be gathered."DI Scott added: “Any discovery of human remains is taken extremely seriously. A thorough investigation is being carried out and we are keeping an open mind at this time.‌“It is important for me to stress that this is also likely to take us some time yet. There will still be a scene remaining that will be guarded by police officers for a number of days while our work continues."As our investigation progresses over the Bank Holiday weekend and into next week, residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area. I would encourage anyone with any concerns to please come and speak to us.“We would like to thank the public for their patience. We know the effect this investigation will have had on residents living in the area. As always, we will keep people updated as this complex investigation develops.”Article continues belowChoose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Nottinghamshire Police