Police search flat in body parts investigation

British murder squad detectives are searching a flat close to where dismembered body parts were discovered in London, England.

The search follows the discovery of remains by a tramp as he looked for food in a bin in Camden.

Scotland Yard believe the remains are of a woman and a young girl and forensic tests are continuing in a bid to identify them.

Tests are also being carried out on another set of body parts discovered nearby to establish whether they belong to the same victims.

Neighbours say a man who lived in the flat being searched has not been seen for several days.

Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook said: "I am appealing for anyone who has any information or who saw anything suspicious in the last week to contact us."

The murder inquiry was launched on Monday after the tramp took the remains, two sections of legs, to a local hospital where staff called police. The area was cordoned off and another bin bag containing the torso of a young girl was found.

Neighbours say the flat was searched by police last year.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman has confirmed a woman's body was found in Royal College Street in January last year, but that she had died of natural causes.

"A man in his fifties was arrested in connection with the death. He was subsequently released without charge after the post mortem showed the death was due to natural causes. She died of a heart attack.

"The body was found on January 20, 2002," she added.