Human remains wrapped in plastic found at nature reserve in Salford
Police have launched a murder investigation after finding human remains wrapped in plastic at a nature reserve.
Officers were called by a member of the public who found an “unknown item wrapped in plastic” at Kersal Dale in Salford, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
Pathologists and detectives at the scene have confirmed it contained human remains, which are yet to be identified.
They were found at about 5.50pm on Thursday in a secluded woodland area.
An extensive police cordon has now been put in place at the largely wooded reserve, which sits north of Manchester city centre and covers around 32 hectares of countryside, according to its website.
Pic: PA
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes said: “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 inquiries, provide reassurance and to listen to any concerns.”
He said the police cordon at the reserve, which is closed to the public, “is likely to remain for some time” while police “work to unravel what exactly has happened”.
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A search of the wider area is now underway. Pic: PA
Chief Superintendent Tony Creely, from GMP’s Salford division, said in a briefing on Friday that the remains “are likely to have been here for a matter of days”.
“We do not know the identity of the person, or whether they are male or female,” he said. “We do know though that these remains are human and it would not be possible for them to have survived.
“The priority is establishing who the person is and carrying out a respectful and diligent enquiry on behalf of that person and their family, whoever they may be.”
A forensic tent at the scene. Pic: PA
Anyone who may have relevant information is being urged to come forward.
DS Hughes said: “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.”
He added: “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 inquiries, no matter how big or small, comes forward.”
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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