Suspect appears in UK court over bodies found in suitcases

A 34-year-old man appeared in court on Monday charged with murder after the bodies of two men were found dumped in suitcases on a landmark UK bridge.

Yostin Andres Mosquera spoke only to confirm his name, address, and date of birth when he appeared at a London court, assisted by a Spanish interpreter.

Police said the two victims -- Albert Alfonso, 62, a British citizen originally from France, and Paul Longworth, 71 -- had previously been in a relationship but still lived together in west London.

Mosquera, whom police previously said was a Colombian national, had been staying with them.

Evidence in the investigation so far had not pointed to a homophobic motive but it had been classified as a hate crime.

Officers launched a manhunt after two suitcases were discovered on Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol in southwest England last week.

More human remains were later found at a flat in London.

Mosquera was remanded in custody and will appear next for a hearing on Wednesday at London's Old Bailey court, which hears major criminal cases.

"I know that this awful incident will cause concern not just among residents... but in the wider LGBTQ+ community across London," said Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine, adding that officers were not looking for anyone else over the killings.

"My thoughts are first and foremost with Albert and Paul's loved ones who are coming to terms with this terrible news," he said.

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.