Pink suitcase examined in bin bag murder inquiry

Police are investigating whether a pink suitcase found in a Liverpool park is linked to the discovery of a woman's body in a bin bag there two weeks ago.

A murder investigation was launched after the body of a woman, aged about 70, was found in a walled garden near Isla Gladstone Conservatory in Stanley Park, Anfield, at about 17:25 BST on 28 August.

Merseyside Police confirmed a pink suitcase recovered from the park was being examined to determine if it was relevant to the investigation.

Two weeks on, the force has renewed an appeal to identify the woman and confirmed it was liaising with other police forces in the UK and internationally.

Det Ch Insp John Fitzgerald said the investigation "remains ongoing and we remain determined to identity the woman and find the person or persons responsible for her murder".

"We are actively pursuing every call we receive to ensure that people are seen to be safe and well and can be eliminated from our enquiries," he added.

Detectives believe the woman's body could have been in the park for several weeks.

Forensic tests on the woman have produced a DNA profile, but it has not matched the UK's national database and the force said it had also been unable to compare dental records.

The woman was white, approximately 5ft 2in (1.57m) and had a slight build, with strawberry blonde hair, police said.

She was wearing a distinctive cerise pink Nike T-shirt and police previously released an image of a similar garment in the hope that it would help someone recognise her.

Fitzgerald said officers had spoken to people in 625 homes near the park and recovered CCTV from 30 cameras.

The investigation has received 160 reports from members of the public so far and officers have eliminated 73 people after concerns were raised for people matching the woman's description.

Fitzgerald appealed for anyone in the area of Stanley Park over recent weeks who had seen anything suspicious to contact the force.

Anyone who may have flown a drone over the park over the past couple of months is urged to check their footage for anything significant.

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