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A manhunt launched by British police continued on Friday after two suitcases containing human remains were discovered on Clifton Suspension Bridge in the southwestern city of Bristol.
Avon and Somerset Police said on Thursday that it received a call at 11:57 p.m. local time the day before about a man with a suitcase “acting suspiciously” on the bridge. By the time officers appeared, the man had disappeared, but two suitcases containing human remains were found, the force added.
Police have not yet identified the man or the deceased, though initial inquiries have found that the man took a taxi to the bridge. A large-scale search was carried out over several hours involving the police helicopter and coastguard, but the man was not located, police said in a statement.
They later released a photo of a man they wanted to speak to in connection with their investigation. “He is described as Black with a beard. He was wearing a black Adidas baseball cap, black jeans, a black jacket, black trainers with thick white soles and had a black backpack,” Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement.
Vicks Hayward-Melen, acting Bristol commander of Avon and Somerset Police, told the BBC’s Today program Friday that authorities were still looking for the man pictured in a police-issued image, described as Black with a beard and dressed in dark clothing.
“We’re still looking for him to speak with him about his presence on the bridge and the matters leading up to the suitcases being located,” Hayward-Melen said.
A forensic post-mortem on the remains found inside the suitcases was continuing on Friday, she said, adding that the process is “complex and lengthy.”
Hayward-Melen also said that officers and initial attendants at the scene are being supported after the “really horrendous discovery.”
The police said on Thursday they could not confirm whether the remains were of more than one person.
“At this time, we’re not aware of any current risk to the wider public,” the police said. It also said high-visibility patrols are being carried out in the area.
“Our immediate priority is to locate the man who took the suitcases to the bridge, identify the deceased, and inform their next of kin,” the police said.
The Clifton Suspension Bridge visitor center was closed on Thursday due to the police activity, the UK’s PA Media news agency reported.
Local lawmaker Carla Denyer said she was “deeply disturbed by the horrifying discovery” of human remains at the bridge. “Distressing events like this are unsettling for all of us who call Bristol home and are proud of our city,” the Green Party MP for Bristol Central said on X.
Avon and Somerset Police said on Thursday that it received a call at 11:57 p.m. local time the day before about a man with a suitcase “acting suspiciously” on the bridge. By the time officers appeared, the man had disappeared, but two suitcases containing human remains were found, the force added.
Police have not yet identified the man or the deceased, though initial inquiries have found that the man took a taxi to the bridge. A large-scale search was carried out over several hours involving the police helicopter and coastguard, but the man was not located, police said in a statement.
They later released a photo of a man they wanted to speak to in connection with their investigation. “He is described as Black with a beard. He was wearing a black Adidas baseball cap, black jeans, a black jacket, black trainers with thick white soles and had a black backpack,” Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement.
Vicks Hayward-Melen, acting Bristol commander of Avon and Somerset Police, told the BBC’s Today program Friday that authorities were still looking for the man pictured in a police-issued image, described as Black with a beard and dressed in dark clothing.
“We’re still looking for him to speak with him about his presence on the bridge and the matters leading up to the suitcases being located,” Hayward-Melen said.
A forensic post-mortem on the remains found inside the suitcases was continuing on Friday, she said, adding that the process is “complex and lengthy.”
Hayward-Melen also said that officers and initial attendants at the scene are being supported after the “really horrendous discovery.”
The police said on Thursday they could not confirm whether the remains were of more than one person.
“At this time, we’re not aware of any current risk to the wider public,” the police said. It also said high-visibility patrols are being carried out in the area.
“Our immediate priority is to locate the man who took the suitcases to the bridge, identify the deceased, and inform their next of kin,” the police said.
The Clifton Suspension Bridge visitor center was closed on Thursday due to the police activity, the UK’s PA Media news agency reported.
Local lawmaker Carla Denyer said she was “deeply disturbed by the horrifying discovery” of human remains at the bridge. “Distressing events like this are unsettling for all of us who call Bristol home and are proud of our city,” the Green Party MP for Bristol Central said on X.
