Police in the southwestern England city of Bristol are searching for a man who was behaving suspiciously on a local bridge just before the discovery of two suitcases believed to contain human remains. The Metropolitan Police on Friday confirmed that the suitcases did contain human remains. “The victims have not been formally identified but both are believed to be adult men,” said the Metropolitan Police.
Avon and Somerset Police officers arrived on the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge at around midnight Wednesday, only 10 minutes after receiving reports of the man behaving strangely. But the man, who had travelled there by taxi, was already gone.
“This is a very disturbing incident and I fully recognize the concern it will be causing our communities,” Acting Bristol Commander Vicks Hayward-Melen said.
Police, who are being assisted by the coastguard, said they were still “working out” the man’s identity and released an image, though they warned the public not to approach him.
“Our immediate priority is to locate the man who took the suitcases to the bridge, identify the deceased, and inform their next of kin,” Hayward-Melen said.
The London-based force has now taken over the investigation after evidence suggested that the wanted man had travelled to Bristol from the UK capital earlier on Wednesday.
A crime scene has been set up in west London, he added.
The landmark bridge spans the Avon Gorge, and was designed by noted Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It opened in 1864. It is one of the oldest surviving suspension bridges in the world. The bridge over the Avon Gorge is one of Bristol’s top tourist attractions and a symbol of the city.
(with inputs from Associated Press and AFP)
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