British police have launched a manhunt 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.
The police said they could not confirm whether the remains were of more than one person and a post-mortem examination was set to take place on Thursday, according to Britain’s PA Media.
“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 PA 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.