DETECTIVES are investigating after a human bone was found in a pair of socks bought at a popular clothes store.
An unsuspecting shopper uncovered the dismembered digit in the socks they had brought from Primark in Culver Street East, Colchester.
The transaction which led to the grim discovery happened on December 10 and the stunned shopper reported it to Essex Police on January 2.
A spokesman for the force explained there was no skin on the bone and they were in talks with Primark as to how it came to be inside the socks.
“Detectives are continuing to investigate following the discovery of what is believed to be part of a human bone in a pair of Primark socks,” he said.
“The bone does not appear to be a result of recent trauma and had no skin or other particles surrounding it.”
The spokesman added: “We are liaising with the store who, in turn, are speaking to their suppliers for more information on this incident.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
A spokesman for Primark apologised to the customer.
He said: “Primark clearly takes this matter very seriously and has already carried out an investigation at our supplier’s factory where the socks were made.
“No evidence of any kind exists to suggest that any incident has occurred in the factory, so it is highly probable that this object was placed in the socks by an individual for unknown reasons.
“Primark has been the subject of isolated incidents in the past which have subsequently been found to have been hoaxes.
“The factory has been used by other retailers and subject of many audits over many years.
“Primark sincerely apologises to the customer who found the item for any distress caused.”
The long-awaited Primark store finally opened in Colchester at the former site of British Homes Stores in February 2017 following a decade of rumours and discussions with the budget clothes retailer as they looked to find an appropriate building for them to move in to in Colchester town centre.
Experts eventually took a longer than expected 18 months to fit out the site in Lion Walk.
The store became one of the biggest retailers in the town centre when it opened and created 150 jobs.
