UK: Man arrested in Bristol over bodies found in suitcases

Police in the United Kingdom on Saturday arrested a man in connection with the deaths of two men whose remains were found in two suitcases, authorities said.

The 34-year-old was detained in the early hours in the Bristol area of western England, the same city where the crimes took place.

Armed officers held the man at Bristol's main railway station before he was taken into custody, police said.

He was due to be questioned in London later on Saturday, as the city's Metropolitan Police has taken over the investigation.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine of Scotland Yard said: "This is a significant development in our investigation and I would like to thank the public for their support."

A police statement said: "Extensive enquiries are ongoing, however at this stage police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident."

What do we know about the crime?

Police were called to Bristol's Clifton Suspension Bridge at around midnight on Wednesday, after receiving reports of a man behaving suspiciously. However, the man left the scene by the time police officers arrived.

According to police, the man discarded two suitcases near the iconic bridge, which was built in 1864 by pioneering engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and is a major tourism draw for the city.

Police later said the suitcases contained the remains of two men and that the main suspect had traveled from London with the bags.

The victims have not yet been formally identified but both are believed to be adults.

One autopsy was deemed "inconclusive," while a second post-mortem examination remains ongoing.

A taxi that the man took to the bridge has been seized by authorities.

More human remains were found on Friday in a western London suburb..

Those remains are believed to be connected to those found in the suitcases, police said.

Forensic officers were seen working behind the cordon at the crime scene in London on Saturday morning.

Police had earlier identified a 34-year-old Colombian national as someone they wished to interview.

A 36-year-old man was arrested in southeast London on Friday. But he has since been released without charge.

mm/dj (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)