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Human remains found near Manchester United’s club academy and old training facility, The Cliff

A grim discovery has been made at the nearby nature reserve.

Danny Jones - 5th April 2024

A woodland area in Salford has been closed off after human remains were reportedly found right near Manchester United’s old training ground, The Cliff.

Discovered in the Kersal Wetlands, just yards away from Man United‘s former first team facility where club academy operations and some matches still take place, Greater Manchester Police and forensics officers are now investigating what are said to be human remains left wrapped in plastic.

According to The Telegraph, who first reported the story on Friday, 5 April, the evidence was found around 5:30pm on Thursday afternoon and a murder investigation is now underway after a pathologist confirmed the remains to be that of a human.

Although details are still scarce, having first been reported as an ‘unknown item’ by passers-by, it is now thought that they had been left in the area for anywhere between 24 to 36 hours.

No clear identifying marks were found on the remains and specifics like gender, age and ethnicity of the person have not yet been revealed.

A post-mortem is due to be carried out but as no full body has been discovered, authorities will likely be unable to determine a cause of death, however, the nature of what was found means “it would not be possible for the victim to have survived”.

For now, a large police cordon has been put in place around the predominantly wooded surround which covers around 32 hectares just north of Manchester city centre.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes from GMP’s Serious Crime Division said in a statement that the area will remain sealed off to the public “for some time, whilst we work to unravel what exactly has happened here.”

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DS Hughes went on to add: “I want to assure the local community that although this is a disturbing and unsettling find, we have a large visible presence in the area to complete enquiries, provide reassurance and to listen to any concerns.

“I encourage anyone who may have relevant information to speak to these officers. The victim has not yet been identified, but we know that behind this discovery there will be a family who have lost a loved one, and we want to make sure they are supported as quickly as possible.

“Anyone who thinks they may have witnessed something suspicious in the Kersal Dale area over the last few days could be key to unlocking what happened. I would ask that anyone who has any information that may be relevant to our enquiries, no matter how big or small, comes forward by calling 101 and quoting log number 2695 of 4 April 2024.”

As always, any details you may have and feel could be useful can also be passed on anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers online or by calling 0800 555 111.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/GMP/Anthony Parkes (via Geograph)