POLICE say that a human jawbone found near a Tayside beach could be “decades old” — but the identity of the person it belonged to still isn’t known.
An investigation was launched in January after the discovery of the remains at Lunan Bay, between Arbroath and Montrose.
Officers cordoned off the beach as a sweep of the area was carried out and forensic experts were brought in.
Relatives of missing people in the area were also informed of the discovery.
Today, a police spokeswoman told the Tele that the death of the person was not thought to have been suspicious.
She said: “Police Scotland can confirm that the fragment of bone recovered at Lunan Bay is non-recent and there have been no apparent suspicious circumstances identified in connection with the incident.
“The families of known missing people in Tayside have been contacted and advised.”
The spokeswoman added: “There is no person identified in connection with the bone fragment found.
“I am unable to give an exact timeframe. However, expert opinion is that it is decades old.”
The bone was found near a coastal path, just behind Redcastle Farm in Inverkeilor, south of the Lunan Water, by a member of the public.
Police taped off an area of long grass between the bay and the path, as a team of eight combed the area.
However, no further fragments of bone were discovered.
The jawbone was believed to have been washed up following a series of high tides and stormy weather.
It was later handed to pathologists, who have since worked to identify the age and sex of the person that it belonged to.