Woman's Decapitated Head Discovered In Park On Valentine's Day

The decapitated head of a yet-to-be-identified woman has been found in a park in Paris.

Various body parts belonging to a woman, including the head, were tracked down by police and park staff, who joined in the search around 11am local time (10am GMT) today February 14.

The head was found in a remote wooded area popular with families and joggers in the Buttes-Chaumont Park, one of the French capital's largest green spaces towards the northeast of the city.

According to The Parisien, the lower torso area of a woman - from below the chest to her knees - was also found blood-soaked in a bag along with the head today under a pile of foliage.

A source said: "Obviously, the body was cut dressed.

"The corpse was not in a state of putrefaction, which seems to attest to a recent death."

The victim hasn't been identified, but the Parisien reported she was dressed in blue jeans with a flower pattern decorating the thigh area.

A police source said she is believed to be "North African" or "European".

Sources claim the head and torso were found in a remote area of the park generally used by employees and located near a disused railway line, although this has not been officially confirmed.

The body parts were discovered after a search was opened when an initial body part - a piece of a woman's pelvic area according to sources close to the case - was found in a plastic bag by park workers last night (February 13).

Police have now opened a murder inquiry and the park has been closed off according to Fran ois Dagnaud, mayor of the 19th arrondissement where the discovery was made.

A major search operation is underway in the space and a diving team has also been called in to search the lake in the park.

Buttes-Chaumont Park is the fifth-largest park in the French capital, spanning 24.7 hectares (61 acres).