Female torso found in flat as hunt for missing man continues

Detectives concerned at the mental state of prime suspect, who has not been seen for two days

A flat in a dingy three-storey council block, off the long grey thoroughfare of Royal College Street became the focus yesterday of a particularly grisly double murder investigation.

Police who searched the property left looking shocked by what they had found – instruments for chopping up bodies, and the torso of a woman.

Anthony John Hardy, the owner of the flat, in Camden, north London, was named by Scotland Yard as the prime suspect in the deaths of two women. Police say they are concerned about the mental state of Mr Hardy, who is well-known in the Camden area, but has not been seen for the past two days. He is described as being in his mid-50s, about 6ft 2in tall, with a thick, greyish beard and glasses.Police have contacted his relatives, but they did not know of his whereabouts.

The investigation began on Monday after a tramp, rummaging through a "wheelie bin" behind the College Arms pub found sections of two legs in a black binliner. He took them to the nearby National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, and the police were called.

Further searches led to the discovery of another bag containing the torso of a younger woman.

Yesterday Detective Chief Superintendent David Cook, the officer in charge of the investigation said: "If you look at the nature of the crime that has taken place, clearly the person responsible for this matter must be treated with extreme caution and considered to be dangerous.

"Therefore I would ask that any member of the public who has got any information that would assist us as to the whereabouts of Mr Hardy to contact police."

He added: "Because of his [Mr Hardy's] health he is not currently working and we don't have details of anywhere he was last employed.

"As much as we would wish to speak to him in connection with the murder, we have also, naturally, because of events that have taken place, to be concerned for his safety and well-being."

"My message to Mr Hardy would be we would like to speak to you, come in. We would also like to satisfy ourselves as to your health and well-being. We want to make sure he is okay and then further the investigation."

Neighbours of Mr Hardy said the flat had been searched by police last year. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said a woman's body was found in Royal College Street in January last year, but the death was due to natural causes.

She said: "A man in his fifties was arrested in connection with the death. He was subsequently released without charge after the post mortem showed the death was due to natural causes. She died of a heart attack."

Yesterday, police refused to say how the bodies had been dismembered. After the initial discovery by the tramp, further searches on Tuesday led to the recovery of the torso of the younger victim and other remains. "There are still a number of body parts missing and we are continuing with a search of the area," said Detective Chief Superintendent Cook.