Body parts in river believed to be remains of Suzanne Blamires

Dismembered parts of one body – which detectives believe to be missing prostitute Suzanne Blamires – were found in the River Aire, off Dockfield Road, Shipley, on Tuesday afternoon.

Detectives, who were carrying out missing persons inquiries in the cases of fellow street workers Shelley Armitage and Susan Rushworth, have now conceded they are looking for bodies.

A 40-year-old Bradford man, arrested on Monday in connection with Suzanne’s disappearance, is being quizzed about the suspected murders of all three women.

As police extended their search from the area where the body parts were found, West Yorkshire Assistant Chief Constable Jawaid Akhtar attended the scene, at the junction of Dockfield Road and Otley Road.

He told a packed gathering of reporters: “As you are aware, police yesterday recovered human remains from the water at Dockfield Road, Shipley. Those appear to be the remains of one person, who has yet to be identified.”

ACC Akhtar said police had obtained a warrant of further detention from Bradford magistrates to continue questioning the 40-year-old man until tonight.

He said: “The man is being questioned on suspicion of the murder of Suzanne Blamires, aged 36, who went missing on Friday.”

ACC Akhtar added: “He has also been arrested, and will be questioned, on suspicion of the murder of Shelley Armitage, aged 31, who has been missing since Monday, April 26, and the murder of Susan Rushworth, aged 43, who has been missing since Monday, June 22, 2009.

“This is a very thorough and painstaking inquiry into three missing people who are sex workers, with all the necessary resources and expertise devoted to it.

“The families of Suzanne, Shelley and Susan are all being supported by our family liaison officers as the inquiry progresses.”

A post-mortem examination took place yesterday in a bid to identify the remains found in the river. But the results were inconclusive due to the effects of water and further forensic tests are to take place. None of the families were willing to speak about developments yesterday.

The suspect being questioned is understood to have lived in Bradford for a number of years. He is thought to be something of a loner who lived alone in the city, close to the red light area.

A number of searches were continuing across the district last night for the two remaining victims.

White-suited forensics officers were trawling bins and rubbish strewn across the ground at the bottom of Albion Street, outside the 1-in-12 Club between Sunbridge Road and Westgate in Bradford city centre.

Eight officers wearing white face masks and white shoe covers lifted black bin-liners from a graffiti-covered metal waste bin.

They used poles to sift through the waste, sniffer dogs were led around the area and there was speculation that police were working to establish where a “rotten smell” originated from.

A worker in the Disc music shop in Sunbridge Road, who asked only to be identified as Richard, said: “They were there from noon. They had sniffer dogs and there is a really nasty smell. It’s like an abattoir.

“Police were looking where the smell is coming from. It smells like something’s rotting somewhere and they’re looking for it. That smell wasn’t here yesterday.”

Police divers extended their trawl of the River Aire upstream to the western side of the Otley Road bridge in Shipley, a few hundred yards from where the human remains were found.

Meanwhile, a tiny cobbled back street, Soho Street, off Thornton Road, close to the city centre, remained cordoned off and guarded by a uniformed police community support officer yesterday. A scientific support team van was parked nearby and plain clothes officers were also at the scene.

Police officers scouring Sunbridge Road for clues made a couple of discoveries in bushes either side of a parking bay belonging to Provident Financial.

Next to the firm’s headquarters officers recovered a grey and white trainer and a red garment which looked like a coat. They were sealed inside brown paper evidence bags and taken away for further examination at around 7.30pm.

The previous day a police sniffer dog and an underwater search team in protective rubber suits went underground to search an old drainage culvert, covered by large metal plates, at the spot.

The hunt for Miss Blamires began after she was reported missing from her home in Barkston Walk, Allerton, last Friday. Neighbours reported “swarms” of police making inquiries in the area. Forensic experts examined her ground floor flat before a police officer was left guarding the door.

One neighbour said: “We could see people in white suits walking up and down in the flat. They took a lot of stuff away.”

A resident living near Shelley Armitage’s home – three streets away in Bentcliffe Walk – told how police had been looking everywhere.

Kenneth Metcalf said: “Police searched the gardens round here last week looking for Shelley, but they’ve been back again looking for another girl. They were showing us pictures asking if we’d seen her.”

A woman living in nearby Rosemary Garden flats said police had been poking in bins and gardens with sticks.

On Tuesday a large number of police vehicles parked up in Thornton Road near to the city centre. They included dog vans, scientific support vans and underwater search team caravans.

Divers trawled Bradford Beck below Bradford College and dogs sniffed through undergrowth.

Forensic officers in white protective suits and masks were also seen checking black bin bags from rubbish skips at the rear of halls of residence in Laistridge Lane.

The focus switched to Shipley on Tuesday afternoon following a call from a business worker who had spotted what they thought were body parts in the river.

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