Remains found in river are those of missing prostitute

Human remains recovered from a river are those of missing prostitute Shelley Armitage, police said last night.

West Yorkshire police said a small piece of human tissue recovered from the River Aire, in Shipley, West Yorkshire, at the weekend had been tested and found to belong to Ms Armitage, who went missing in Bradford last month.

Earlier this week, police had said that remains recovered from the river on Friday were animal and not human.

A suitcase containing tools was found on Saturday and will undergo tests once it has dried out.

Video: Human remains are missing prostitute

She was captured on CCTV walking a short way along a street before turning round and retracing her steps.

Police launched a poster appeal to try to find Ms Armitage, whose family said she was a "much-loved daughter and sister".

The prostitute, who had problems with drink and drugs, was described by those who knew her as "bubbly" and "just a normal girl".

Stephen Griffiths, 40, has been charged with the murders of Ms Armitage and two other prostitutes, Suzanne Blamires and Susan Rushworth.

Body parts found in the river on 25 May were later found to be those of Ms Blamires, 36.

The body of Ms Rushworth, 43, has not yet been found.

Griffiths was arrested and later charged with murdering the three women, who all went missing in Bradford.

Griffiths referred to himself as the "crossbow cannibal" when he appeared in court last week.

He will next appear at Bradford Crown Court via video link from Wakefield Prison on 7 June.

Earlier today a team of forensics officers were still searching for evidence around the area of Griffiths' flat, at Holmfield Court flats on Thornton Road, Bradford, and a police cordon remained in place around the building.

Officers were also still present at the River Aire, a police tape sectioning the scene off from the main road.

Griffiths, a criminology student, was arrested on 24 May at his flat on the edge of Bradford's red-light district, where he lived for about 13 years.

He is charged with murdering Ms Blamires between 20 May and 25 May; murdering Ms Rushworth between 22 June 2009 and 25 May this year; and murdering Ms Armitage between 25 April and 25 May this year.

Ms Blamires was last seen on Friday 21 May, while Ms Rushworth disappeared on 22 June last year.