Bristol Clifton Suspension Bridge latest: Police release image of ...

Police have been scouring the area asking locals in Burwalls Road for CCTV as the hunt continues for the suspect.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: “We continue to ask anyone who sees the man, in the image released yesterday, to call 999.”

Officers arrived within ten minutes, but the man had already left the scene, leaving a suitcase behind. A second suitcase was found nearby.

Alex Ross reports from the scene that Clifton Suspension Bridge is fully back open to the public today.

Visitors would be forgiven for not knowing about the incident on Wednesday night given there is no sign of police presence at the site anymore.

The forensic tent near the Clifton Suspension Bridge visitor centre on the Leigh Woods side of the bridge is gone, and no officers are stationed there.

The suspect headed toward Leigh Woods, but there was no obvious police presence there.

We know police were scouring CCTV last night so potentially the search has moved on to a new location.

Carla Denyer, MP for Bristol Central, said she was “deeply disturbed” by the discovery of human remains in two suitcases at Clifton Suspension Bridge and thanked the police for their “swift action”.

The Green Party co-leader posted on X: “I am deeply disturbed by the horrifying discovery of human remains at Clifton Suspension Bridge overnight.

“Distressing events like this are unsettling for all of us who call Bristol home and are proud of our city.

“Thank you @ASPolice for your swift action. I am in contact with authorities and will do anything I can to support a swift and thorough investigation.”

Giles Malone told LBC another women, who appeared to be a passerby, joked with the suspects about what was inside the “tatty suitcases” found later to be containing human remains.

“Another lady started to help them and the lady who was helping them said ‘these are the heaviest suitcases I’ve ever lifted. What’s in them? bodies?

“We sort of semi-joked about it but they didn’t say anything.”

Both cases contain what is believed to be human remains, police said.

He described the bags as “old, tatty suitcases - two big ones”, and identified one of the men as “African-American” and the other as “white”.

He added: “I was coming across the bridge to go up to Long Ashton and my dad says [it was closed] because there was national news about some suitcases found.

“I immediately looked at my wife and said ‘I wonder if that’s a coincidence from last night’.”

Acting Bristol Commander Vicks Hayward-Melen said: “This is a very disturbing incident and I fully recognise the concern it will be causing our communities.

“The investigation is being led by our Major Crime Investigation Team and involves specialist officers and staff from across our organisation.

“Specialist officers are ready to provide them with any support they need.”

Police have been in contact with the family of Jack O’Sullivan to “inform them of the incident” but said “no parallels are actively being drawn”.

The 23-year-old was last seen at about 3.15am on March 2 in the area of Brunel Lock Road and Brunel Way in Bristol.

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.

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”.

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.