The body of a baby was found under the floorboards by workers renovating a house in Bishop Auckland.
The baby’s skeleton was found in an upstairs bedroom at an address in Fore Bondgate at around 11.15am on Monday.
Remains are being recovered from the building this afternoon and police teams are prepared to conduct a full search of the property.
Forensic analysts, including an expert anthropologist, were tasked with examining the skeleton to determine its age and how long it had been on the property.
An autopsy and CT scan are scheduled for later this week to determine the baby’s cause of death.
Durham Police detectives have also begun tracing the property’s former residents.
Chief Inspector Mel Sutherland, of Durham Police, said: “Our investigations are at an early stage.
“This is obviously a sensitive investigation and at this stage we remain open about the circumstances surrounding the death.”
