A bizarre initiation ritual could be behind nine pigs' heads found dumped in a street, it has been claimed.
The skinned heads were reported to police after they were spotted lined up on the pavement in King Edwards Road, Middlesbrough.
Environmental health officers are investigating how they came to be there.
A 19-year-old student, who lives nearby, told the Middlesbrough Gazette: "There have been a lot of initiations into sports clubs recently so maybe it was something to do with that."
Two workers from Middlesbrough Council's area care team cleared away the grisly remains.
A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council's environmental protection department said: "Our officers were made aware of a number of discarded animal heads on Saturday morning which are believed to have been dumped in a nearby skip.
"Investigations are ongoing as to the source of the animal parts and how they came to be in the road."