A COUSIN of the Duke of Norfolk and part time sculptor tutor at Prince Charles's Institute of Architecture was arrested after police discovered 30 human body parts in a macabre investigation.
Mr Anthony Noel Kelly, a butcher turned sculptor, won critical recognition for his moulds of heads, feet and torsos which he claimed was his way of immortalising the dead. Some of his works, gilded in silver and gold, sold for thousands of pounds.
In interviews at the time, the artist claimed his work was concerned with immortalising the dead and finding beauty in death. "I have no qualms about doing this work. I wouldn't wish to hurt anyone. While I find beauty in death, these are nevertheless rotting bodies."
Police launched the investigation following a request from the British government's Inspector of Anatomy, Dr Laurence Martin. An art lover allegedly recognised a deceased man in one of Mr Kelly's sculptures exhibited at the Contemporary Art Fair in a London gallery. The sculptor had used a mould of the man's head showing part of his brain cut away.
Dr Martin was looking into possible violations of the Anatomy Act, which forbids the illegal use of human body parts. A spokesman for the Department of Health said he had also written to medical schools in Britain alerting them to the possible sale of human remains.
Mr Kelly, who lives in a flat in Clapham, south west London, is now on bail while police investigate allegations that he bought stolen body parts and dumped the remains.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard yesterday confirmed the arrest. "Following a request from HM Inspectorate of Anatomy, officers from the organised crime group are investigating allegations of theft and burying bodies without consent.
"A search has been carried out at an address in south west London and a venue in Kent where a number of body parts have been found. A 41 year old man arrested on April 2nd has been bailed to return to Vauxhall police station on April 17th."
It is a criminal offence to use body parts for anything other than medical research. The Anatomy Act 1994 allows remains to be kept for up to three years but states they must then be given a proper burial, although some parts can be kept indefinitely as specimens.