Link ruled out as second human foot found on banks of Humber

Simon Bristow

A HUMAN foot has been found on the banks of the River Humber, 20 miles from where another was found less than a month ago.

Humberside Police said they do not believe the incidents are linked and officers are understood to have ruled out any connection to the missing Hull student Russell Bohling.

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The latest grisly find was made by a cyclist on the south bank near Barton, close to the Humber Bridge, on Saturday.

It was in a brown, steel toe-capped boot and has been taken to a mortuary for examination.

Russell, 18, who vanished on March 2, had left home with his steel toe-capped boots in a rucksack. They were found to be missing when his family were asked to identify the contents of the rucksack in May.

Another foot – believed to be in a training shoe – was found by a member of the public walking along Cleethorpes beach near Grimsby, closer to the mouth of the estuary, on August 11.

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Police are checking missing persons records as they try to identify the feet.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: “We are currently investigating the discovery of a second foot which was found still inside a brown coloured boot close to Barton on the banks of the River Humber.

“This discovery is not being linked to the foot which was found on Cleethorpes beach as we are happy that there are no connections at this time.

“As part of the investigation we will be checking all missing person reports from across the area and other force areas in order to rule out any possible connections.

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“It would not be appropriate to comment any further at this time as investigations are very much ongoing meaning further speculation could be harmful at this stage.”

Cyclist Steve Paine described making the latest find at Chowder Ness Foreshore, near Barton, while he was out with his daughter.

“There was a swan in the water along the water’s edge and while my daughter was taking a photograph of the swan I noticed there was a man’s tan leather boot with a sock hanging from the boot.

“I had a look at it and realised there was a human foot inside the boot.”

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Police have made routine searches of the areas where both feet were found but are not thought to have recovered further evidence.

Russell was last seen when he left home in West Ella, near Hull, at 8am on March 2.

The teenager was thought to be heading to Bishop Burton College, near Beverley, where he was in the second year of a construction course, but it is not known whether he arrived and his blue Renault Clio was later found abandoned at Bempton Cliffs nature reserve, near Bridlington.

The car displayed an all-day parking ticket, which had Russell’s fingerprint on it and was bought just before 11.30am on March 2.

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His disappearance sparked a widespread air, sea and land search and inquiries were later extended across Yorkshire. His fate remains a mystery.

Police believe the most likely explanation for Russell’s disappearance is that he killed himself or had an accident but the family believe he may have been abducted and murdered.

Officers have continued to appeal for help in finding him.

Speaking on the six-month anniversary of his disappearance, missing persons officer Steve Norfolk said: “If anyone saw anything of Russell six months ago, or spoke to him about his intentions at that time, please contact us and share with us what you know.

“Without any new information there are limitations to what we can do, however the investigation remains ongoing and any new leads that are presented to us will be pursued.”