Detectives are pinning their hopes on a DNA breakthrough to establish the identity of human remains found in undergrowth close to Bradford city centre.
Police have been given dozens of possible names for the identity of the remains, discovered two weeks ago in a camouflaged tent not far from the Forster Square retail park.
Only a skeleton remained and it is thought the victim could have lain dead since last summer.
Police have not been able to make a positive identification of the remains, or even tell whether they are male or female.
Now the bones have been sent to a forensic laboratory, where detectives hope DNA techniques will reveal who they belong to.
The grim find was made on Saturday, March 5, off Hamm Strasse, near to the junction with Canal Road.
A forensic post-mortem examination on the skeleton failed to establish a cause of death, but police say it is not being treated as suspicious.
Detective Inspector Mark Long, of Bradford South CID, who is leading the investigation into the discovery of the body, said dozens of possible names had been suggested by people from across the country, including relatives of missing people, but that none had stood out to officers.
He said: “The bones have been sent to our forensic laboratory to try to establish who the person is.
“The process will take about a month, but we are hoping the scientists will be able to get a DNA profile, so we can put a name to the remains.
“The death is being treated as non-suspicious, so the main thrust of our inquiry is to identify who the person is.
“There is nothing to suggest there has been any criminal offence.”
The remains were found in dense shrubs and trees around Midland Mills on Hamm Strasse.
Initial police inquiries suggested that the remains may have been of a person sleeping rough.
The tent where the skeleton was found had been positioned away from the road and camouflaged by foliage.
Anyone with information should call Bradford South CID on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555111.
- Read the full story in Monday's T&A
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