Human skull discovered by dog walker in Kirkby to undergo analysis

Steve Turner, a dog walker from Kirkby, found the suspected human skull on Saturday afternoon after his dog tripped over the remains on March 6.

The 50-year-old regularly walks along the Duddon Estuary, but has never found anything like the skull before.

GOLDEN: The fading golden hour, looking across Duddon Estuary to Black Combe, taken by The Mail Camera Club member Martin Schofield

The remains were not treated as suspicious by Cumbria Police and the matter was handed over to the coroner who has undertaken the initial stages of analysis.

A spokesman for the Cumbrian coroner's office said: "I can confirm that this matter was reported to us.

"The current position is that the Police have now been requested to carry out radiocarbon analysis and dating."

John Nixon, who has written a number of books on the history of aircrafts in the area, believes the skull could belong to a long-lost pilot, Lieutenant Alan Charles Powell, who crashed near the Duddon Estuary on November 9, 1944.

HISTORY: Lt Alan Charles Powell

He said the wreckage of Mosquito LR359 dove into the sea and washed up a few years later.

"He was an extraordinary guy who was part of Operation Torch, Huskey, and Avalanche," he said.

"He distinguished himself in all three campaigns."

The writer of 'Warbirds of Walney' and 'Wings Over Sands' believes a strong line of inquiry would be to look at the teeth and check dental records to try to identify the body.

He said other pilots had crashed in the region, but he believes it is most likely to be Lt Powell.

Mr Turner, who found the skull, is eager to discover how the skull ended up in the estuary.

“It will be interesting, I’m intrigued to know how old it is,” he said at the time.

“I hope it is very, very old."

At the time a police spokeswoman said: “Should the article be confirmed as human remains, further enquiries will be conducted to establish the exact age of the bones, which could be over 100 years old."