Huge police search at beauty spot over torso murder will end today

A huge search in woodland after the discovery of human remains will be called off today. A murder investigation was launched when a walker made the grim find twelve days ago.

The inquiry was triggered at 5.50pm on Thursday April 4th when a person out walking found the remains. In plain sight, and off a footpath, they found the lower body parts of a man wrapped in multiple sheets of cellophane.

Detectives believe the victim is 'older than 40' and when discovered 'had only been dead for a matter of days'. The find was made off Radford Street in the Kersal Dale area of Salford. No further body parts have been found but police are today expected to make a fresh appeal for information and witnesses.

CCTV has been checked as one theory is that the killer or an accomplice with the remains may have arrived by car. The main Bury New Road, a major route in and out of Manchester city centre, is nearby.

One possibility is that other remains may have been disposed of in the nearby River Irwell. Underwater search units have been used. A national check of missing persons is taking place by detectives to identify the human remains. The investigation may become international.

It is understood there was no clothing on the body parts which could have assisted the police in identifying the victim. Currently, police do not know if the victim is local or has been killed elsewhere and part of their remains left in Salford.

As well as Kersal Dale, a local beauty spot, the wider adjoining Kersal Wetlands was also searched. It comprises 79 acres of nature reserve. For nearly two weeks officers from the Tactical Aid Unit, CSI teams and sniffer dogs have been deployed in a bid to find further evidence.

The search has been made difficult by several