Sewer Worker's 1988 Discovery of Severed Arm Linked to Fred West Case
Retired sewer worker Anthony Foster has spoken publicly for the first time about discovering a severed human arm in Gloucester's underground network in 1988, a find that detectives later connected to serial killers Fred and Rose West.
The Macabre Discovery
Mr Foster was conducting routine inspections and maintenance work in the sewers beneath Spa Road with a colleague when they made the chilling discovery. "It was roughly 1988 when we found a human hand in the sewer," he recalled. "We reported to police and got interviewed by CID, and then when Fred West and Rose West got caught we got re-interviewed."
The retired worker described seeing "a female human arm, severed to about the elbow, just below the elbow, and it just looked feminine" floating past quickly in the sewer water. Police initially dismissed the find as a mannequin since there were no reports of missing women at the time, and this occurred six years before the Wests' crimes came to public attention.
Connection to Gloucester's Underground Network
The discovery gains additional significance in light of recent revelations about Gloucester's extensive underground tunnel system. Last year, a sinkhole exposed what urban explorers believe to be a 22-mile network of tunnels beneath the city, with several passages located just yards from the notorious House of Horrors on Cromwell Street.
Fred West is known to have had extensive knowledge of this underground network, having secured contracts for building maintenance work throughout Gloucester that would have provided him access. Local residents have long suspected he used these tunnels to commit and conceal his crimes.
Authorities' Reluctance and Local Speculation
Despite mounting evidence, certain authorities have persistently declined to acknowledge the existence of these tunnels. One veteran council worker, speaking anonymously, stated: "There are a lot of people high up that are very, very twitchy about the tunnels. I'm pretty sure the main one is to do with Fred West. He did a lot of work under the city – a lot of work."
The worker added: "And it's anyone's guess what could be down there. It's a can of worms, and no one wants to touch it."
Local speculation intensified in May 2021 when excavations were conducted in the cellar of the Clean Plate Café on Southgate Street as part of an investigation into the unresolved disappearance of teenager Mary Bastholm in 1968. Fred West was reportedly hired for building work in that same basement, and during the 1990s investigation, fragments of blue fabric and part of a school exercise book were discovered there, believed to have belonged to Mary.
Historical Context of the Tunnels
Paul Cowmeadow from Gloucester Paranormal Investigation Services confirmed the tunnels' existence, stating: "There are rumoured to be over 22 miles of tunnels under the city of Gloucester, which would make sense based on the publicly known archaeology of the city dating back to Roman times."
He identified several known access points including:
- The Fleece Hotel basement (now closed)
- Café Réné bar on Southgate Street
- The Cross Keys pub
- The Monks Retreat
- Areas around the cathedral
"It's believed that the tunnel system was used for several purposes over the centuries," Cowmeadow explained, "ranging from smuggling, to the English Civil War, and then later in World War Two it is rumoured that the secret services and military also made use of them."
Local Residents' Perspectives
Many residents believe authorities are attempting to downplay the city's connection to the Wests. One resident remarked: "People don't want our city to be most famous for Fred West but you can not escape what has happened. You can not whitewash history and pretend it never happened."
Another added: "Everyone knows they are there. Whatever the reason only fuels the local speculation. Entrances are blocked up but if there is nothing to be seen, then let us down there."
Urban explorers have reported strange findings in the tunnels, with one describing a "spongy" floor surface in a basement near where Fred West was known to have worked. "We did not know much about Fred West connections to the place, but it felt like there was something under that ground," the explorer said.
The Wests' Legacy
Fred West faced charges for 12 murders but took his own life in prison in 1995 before his trial. Rose West was found guilty of 10 murders in November 1995 and is currently serving a life sentence. Mr Foster, now retired, remains convinced of the connection between his 1988 discovery and the serial killers. "The other lad I was with has died now but we had both seen the arm with our own eyes," he said. "I still think it's connected to Fred and Rose."
The retired sewer worker also revealed other disturbing finds during his career, stating: "At hospitals we used to find baby foetuses. You know, I dunno how they got down the toilet, but we used to find baby foetuses, and that was rat's food. We used to find a lot of human skin."
As Gloucester continues to grapple with its dark history, the revelations about both the severed arm discovery and the extensive tunnel network beneath the city raise new questions about what secrets might still remain hidden underground.
