For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Police have released images of the man they are searching for after two suitcases of human remains were found at Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.
Avon and Somerset Police said they are still trying to identify the man in the picture.
A manhunt was launched after officers were called to reports of a man seen acting suspiciously at the bridge at 11.57pm on Wednesday.
Officers arrived within ten minutes, but the man had already left the scene, leaving a suitcase behind. A second suitcase was found nearby.
A neighbour told The Independent that one suitcase was dumped on the bridge, with a second left in bushes.
The local said bridge security staff raised the alarm after they saw blood coming out of the case.
On Thursday night, the search continued in an area on the Leigh Woods side of the bridge, where the man was last seen heading on CCTV.
Police helicopter and Coastguard helping force to locate man
A police helicopter and the Coastguard are helping the force locate the man, who was taken to the bridge in a taxi.
The picture released by police shows a black man with a beard, wearing a black Adidas baseball cap, black jeans, a black jacket, black trainers with thick white soles and had a black backpack.
The force have urged people not to approach him and call 999 if he is sighted, but have said they are unaware of any current risk to the wider public.
Man ‘taken to bridge in a taxi,’ police say
Police said they have established that “the man was taken to the bridge in a taxi”.
Acting Bristol Commander Vicks Hayward-Melen said in a statement: “This vehicle has been seized and the driver is helping us with our enquiries”.
Locating man and identifying human remains are ‘immediate priority’
Avon and Somerset Police said their “immediate priority” was to locate the man and identify the human remains.
Officers were called to reports of a man seen acting suspiciously at the bridge at 11.57pm on Wednesday.
They arrived at the scene within ten minutes, but the man had already left the scene leaving the suitcase behind. A second suitcase was found nearby a short time later.
Bristol: Everything we know as ‘human remains’ found in suitcases at Clifton Suspension Bridge
Image of suspect issued after suitcases with human remains found at Clifton Suspension Bridge
Avon and Somerset Police said they are still trying to identify the bearded man wearing a black cap in the pictures issued to the media on Thursday afternoon.
Bridge staff raised alarm after seeing blood leak from suitcase
A neighbour told The Independent one suitcase was dumped on the bridge, with a second left in the bushes nearby, Amy-Clare Martin reports.
The local said bridge security staff raised the alarm after they saw blood coming out of the case.
Eyewitness saw man being chased by cyclist as he ran from bridge staff
An eyewitness said they saw a man being chased by a cyclist on Clifton Suspension Bridge on Wednesday evening.
The person, who wished to remain anonymous, said they saw the man run down Burwalls, a residential lane leading to Rownham Hill.
They said there were two suitcases: the one left on the bridge appeared to have blood leaking from it, while the other suitcase was on the road just after the bridge on the Leigh Woods side.
The eyewitness added that the man who ran off was shouting in Spanish.
They told Bristol Live: “There was blood on the floor along the bridge.
“The man who had the cases ran from the bridge staff and I saw him being chased by a member of the public on a bike – he was shouting something in Spanish.”
Suitcases found ‘containing human remains’ at Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol
Police said they were called to reports of a man acting suspiciously at the bridge at 11.57pm on Wednesday.
Officers arrived within ten minutes but the man had already left, leaving a suitcase behind. A second suitcase was located a short while later.
Bristol: Everything we know as ‘human remains’ found in suitcases at Clifton Suspension Bridge
Arriving ten minutes later, officers said the man had fled and is suspected to have left behind a suitcase. A second suitcase with similar contents was found nearby after a short search of the area.
Watch: Police release image of suspect after human remains found at Clifton Suspension Bridge
Source: independent.co.uk
