A POPULAR Spanish holiday beach has been closed after a human leg and hip were discovered on the sand.

       The gruesome discovery was made by a woman who was taking a walk along the seashore in the resort of Gandia, about 40 miles from Valencia and 100 miles from Alicante.

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       Police closed the beach at Gandia after a woman discovered a human leg in the sand Credit: www.informacion.es 4

       The leg has now been removed to the Forensic Anatomical Institute of Valencia Credit: www.informacion.es

       She spotted a strange object half buried by the sand and started to dig further to see what it was.

       The woman immediately called in the emergency services when she realised they were human remains and a full investigation is underway.

       Police believe the remains might have come from someone on board a ship which could have been heading for Spain or perhaps even Italy.

       The limb is entire from hip to ankle so it would have detached from the body at sea.

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       Tourists have been gathering near the beach though the leg has now been removed to the Forensic Anatomical Institute of Valencia.

       It is understood to have had pieces of clothing still attached which could provide some clues to its origin.

       One theory is that it came from a person being illegally smuggled from North Africa to Europe.

       The leg and hip were in an advanced state of decomposition.

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       Police rushed to the beach after the woman raised the alert on Sunday afternoon.

       The area was immediately sealed off and guarded.

       "The leg had no fractures, the sea took it out whole, from the hip to the ankle. It was very badly decomposed," said a police spokesman.

       "The few remains of clothing and the material with which it was made indicate that it is a person who was trying to reach Europe."

       It is believed the limb travelled many miles before landing on Gandia beach and could have been separated from the body due to very strong waves as Spain was being battered by a strong storm.

       The victim is understood to be male.

       An autopsy is being carried out and DNA checked against any missing person.

       A search is also being carried out to find the rest of the corpse.

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       The beach has been sealed off and guarded Credit: www.informacion.es 4

       An autopsy is being carried out on the remains Credit: www.informacion.es