London police have arrested a 36-year-old man in connection with human remains found in two suitcases in the southwestern city of Bristol. The Metropolitan Police stated that the man was arrested in south London on Friday and taken into custody, while the search for another individual linked to the case continues.
The suitcases and their contents were discovered on Clifton Suspension Bridge and are believed to hold the remains of two unidentified individuals, according to the police.
The investigation was initiated when Avon and Somerset Police received a report of a man with a suspicious suitcase on the bridge in Bristol. The suitcases were later found in the area, leading to a search for a man who had traveled from London to Bristol on the same day.
Authorities released a description of the man they were seeking, who is described as Black with a beard, wearing specific clothing items. The person arrested on Friday is not the same individual initially sought by the police.
Vicks Hayward-Melen, acting Bristol commander of Avon and Somerset Police, expressed support for the officers and attendants involved in the case, describing the discovery as 'really horrendous.'
Police assured the public that there is no current risk to the wider community and that high-visibility patrols are being conducted in the area. The immediate focus is on locating the man who brought the suitcases to the bridge, identifying the deceased, and notifying their next of kin.
The Clifton Suspension Bridge visitor center was closed due to the police activity, and local lawmaker Carla Denyer expressed deep concern over the discovery of human remains at the bridge, stating that such events are unsettling for the residents of Bristol.