Detectives have been called in after a three-year-old girl made a grisly discovery on the doorstep of her York home.

What she believed at first to be a pebble turned out to be a freshly-severed fingertip.

The severed digit was wrapped in cling film by the little girl's concerned mum, and is currently in a freezer at Fulford Road police station.

Police are at a loss to explain the find, but Joanne Beetham, of Meadowfields Drive, York, whose daughter, Lucy, found the appendage, believes it may have come from someone trying to burgle the house.

"My little girl picked it up thinking it was a pebble," said Mrs Beetham.

"But when I went to take it off her I turned it over and, realising what it was, threw it away in horror."

After getting over the shock of the discovery, Mrs Beetham found the small piece of flesh - the pad of the fingertip, including the fingerprint - wrapped it in cling film and put it in the fridge.

Concerned for the finger's owner, she rang the local newsagent to see if any paperboys or girls had had an accident during their rounds.

She then contacted the Royal Mail and the casualty ward of York District Hospital, but no-one had an explanation.

She then called the police.

"Some poor person is missing part of their finger, but they haven't been to casualty which makes me think something untoward might have been happening," said Mrs Beetham.

"But if it doesn't belong to a thief, I feel sorry for them as it must have been very painful."

DI Phil Metcalfe said: "The finger pad appears to have been cleanly cut off, but we have had no reports of anyone receiving such an injury."

He added: "If it transpires that a criminal act has been committed, we have the opportunity to fingerprint it and check that against our records."

Anyone with any information about the severed finger should contact the crime desk at York on 01904 631321.

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