Officers were called by a member of the public who found an "unknown item wrapped in plastic" at Kersal Dale in Salford, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

Pathologists and detectives at the scene have confirmed it contained human remains, which are yet to be identified.

It is understood that they are a major body part and not believed to be those of a young child.

A post-mortem taking place this afternoon is expected to reveal more information.

The remains were found at about 5.50pm on Thursday in a secluded woodland area.

An extensive police cordon has now been put in place at the largely wooded reserve, which sits north of Manchester city centre and covers around 32 hectares of countryside, according to its website.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes said: "I want to assure the local community that although this is a disturbing and unsettling find, we have a large visible presence in the area to complete inquiries, provide reassurance and to listen to any concerns."

He said the police cordon at the reserve, which is closed to the public, "is likely to remain for some time" while police "work to unravel what exactly has happened".

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Chief Superintendent Tony Creely, from GMP's Salford division, said in a briefing on Friday that the remains "are likely to have been here for a matter of days".

"We do not know the identity of the person, or whether they are male or female," he said. "We do know though that these remains are human and it would not be possible for them to have survived.

"The priority is establishing who the person is and carrying out a respectful and diligent enquiry on behalf of that person and their family, whoever they may be."

Anyone who may have relevant information is being urged to come forward.

DS Hughes said: "We know that behind this discovery there will be a family who have lost a loved one, and we want to make sure they are supported as quickly as possible."

He added: "Anyone who thinks they may have witnessed something suspicious in the Kersal Dale area over the last few days could be key to unlocking what happened.

"I would ask that anyone who has any information that may be relevant to our inquiries, no matter how big or small, comes forward."