close
close

Police investigate suitcase containing human remains on famous British bridge

Police investigate suitcase containing human remains on famous British bridge

The Clifton Suspension Bridge is one of the oldest surviving suspension bridges in the world and represents the city of Bristol.

  • The Red Arrows display over the Clifton Suspension Bridge during the 35th annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta in Bristol on Friday 9 August 2013. (AP)

British police launched a manhunt on Thursday following the discovery of two suitcases suspected to contain human remains on one of Britain’s most famous bridges.

Late on Wednesday, Avon and Somerset Police received a report of a man acting suspiciously on the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, south-west England, carrying a suitcase.

When the police arrived at the scene ten minutes later, the man had already put down his luggage. Shortly afterwards, they discovered another suitcase.

The police statement said: “Sadly, it is believed that the suitcases contain human remains,” and Police Chief Vicks Hayward-Melen called the incident “very disturbing.”

She added: “Our immediate priority is to locate the man who brought the suitcases onto the bridge, identify the dead man and inform his next of kin.”

Read more: British army veteran arrested for murder of BBC journalist’s family

One of the oldest surviving suspension bridges in the world is the Clifton Suspension Bridge, created by the innovative engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Opened in 1864, the Avon Gorge Bridge is a popular tourist destination and a landmark of Bristol.