Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, southwest England.
Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, southwest England. Image Credit: Pexels

London: Detectives from the UK's largest police force said Friday that they were leading the manhunt after two suitcases believed to contain the remains of two men were dumped on a famous bridge.

Avon and Somerset Police received a report late on Wednesday night of a man with a suitcase acting suspiciously on the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, southwest England.

Officers arrived at the scene around 10 minutes later, but the man had fled.

He did, however, leave the suitcase and police found a second suitcase shortly afterwards.

Both were found to contain human remains.

"The victims have not been formally identified but both are believed to be adult men," said the Metropolitan Police.

The London-based force has now taken over the investigation after evidence suggested that the wanted man had travelled to Bristol from the UK capital earlier on Wednesday.

A crime scene has been set up in west London, he added.

Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by the pioneering engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is one of the oldest surviving suspension bridges in the world.

Opened in 1864, the bridge over the Avon Gorge is one of Bristol's top tourist attractions and a symbol of the city.