Joe Biden has referred to Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” and Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump”, in a pair of significant gaffes set to worsen the crisis engulfing his presidency.

The US president, who is facing calls to stand down over concerns about his age, confused the Ukrainian president with the Russian leader on stage at an international summit.

He then referred to Ms Harris, his vice president, as “Vice President Trump”.

The gaffes came at the end of a Nato summit in Washington DC, which had been pitched as an opportunity to rescue Mr Biden’s ailing reelection campaign.

Standing on a stage with 23 other allied world leaders, Mr Biden spoke for several minutes about the importance of protecting Ukraine from Russian aggression, before turning to Mr Zelensky and introducing him by the wrong name.

“Now, I want to hand over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen: President Putin.”

He returned to the microphone and attempted to explain the error. “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” he said.

“I’m better,” Mr Zelensky replied. “You’re a hell of a lot better,” Mr Biden said back.

Ninety minutes later, during a second press conference, Mr Biden was asked whether Kamala Harris was qualified to take over his job if necessary.

“I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, that I think she was not qualified to be president,” he replied.

Donald Trump immediately seized on the moment, writing on social media: “Great job, Joe!”

Within minutes, the clips were being circulated online by official Republican Party accounts.

Mr Biden later defended his health, but said he must do more to “allay” concerns by appearing more often at public events.

The president’s advisers had been braced for the possibility of more errors on the world stage, after two weeks of criticism for his performance at the presidential debate on June 27.

The two slip-ups produced more calls for Mr Biden to end his campaign and make way for a younger candidate.

Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the Democrats must put forward the “strongest candidate possible” to beat Trump, and he “no longer believe[s] that is Joe Biden”.

Polls show that Mr Biden’s popularity has tanked since the debate. He is now behind Trump in almost all swing states, and some previously safe blue states are now “in play” in November.

Thursday’s incidents came as aides worked on a pitch to convince Mr Biden to stand down his presidential campaign, amid concerns he can “never recover” from questions raised about his age in the last two weeks.

Aides on the US president’s campaign and White House teams are working out how to persuade him to leave the race, after concluding that he has no chance of beating Trump.

Earlier this week, the Hollywood star and Democrat donor George Clooney called for Mr Biden to abandon his campaign, while the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stopped short of defending his decision to remain in the race.

Mr Biden’s press conference at the end of the Nato summit was the first event of its kind for eight months.

The US president gave remarks and took questions from journalists for an hour, defending his record on the economy and foreign policy. He also addressed concerns about his age.

Insisting he would stay in the race, he said: “I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started. I think I’m the best qualified person to do the job.”

He said he was “ready” to deal with Mr Putin and Xi Jinping “now, and three years from now”, when he will be 84 years old. He said the “gravity of the situation” required his experience in office.

But Mr Biden also acknowledged that he had dealt poorly with recent criticism from his own party, describing his errors on the debate stage two weeks ago as “stupid”.

“I’m determined on running, but I think it’s important that I allay fears by letting them see me out there,” he said.

Defending his health, he added: “My schedule has been full bore. So if I slow down and I can’t get the job done, that’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it, but there’s no indication of that yet — none.”

He denied a story that he intended to go to bed at 8pm every night, but said he thought it was important to “pace myself”.

“I love my staff, but they add things. They add things all the time. I’m catching hell from my wife,” he said.

Asked whether he would take a cognitive test, he replied: “I’ve taken three significant and intense neurological exams by a neurosurgeon, by a neurologist… as recently as February and they say I’m in good shape.”

“The only thing age does is it creates a little bit of wisdom if you pay attention”.

Mr Biden was asked repeatedly whether he planned to step down if polling data showed that Ms Harris would be more likely to beat Trump in the election.

He replied: “No, unless they came back and said, ‘there’s no way you can win’.”

Leaning into the microphone to whisper to the audience, he added: “No one is saying that. No poll says that.”

He had previously said that only “Lord Almighty” could convince him to step down.

Some Democrats praised Mr Biden for his performance in the latter half of the press conference, when he spoke in detail and without notes on US relations with China, South Korea and Russia.

David Axelrod, a former Barack Obama aide who has called for him to step down, said he was “very comfortable on national security issues”.

However, Mr Biden’s two gaffes in the final hours of the 75th anniversary Nato summit will overshadow three days of intense diplomacy by its member states, as discussion turns to the future of his campaign.

Sir Keir Starmer waved away Mr Biden’s confusion between Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin in his own press conference, arguing that the US president “should be given credit” for the summit.

Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, said that “slips of tongue happen”, while Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said Mr Biden was “in charge” and on top of matters.

Mr Biden repeatedly referred to other Nato leaders while defending his record.

He said this week’s Nato summit had been the most successful “for a long time”, and that attendees thanked him for bringing them together.

“I know it sounds self-serving, but other leaders and heads of state have thanked me,  saying: ‘The reason we’re together is because of Biden’,” he said.

The Duke of Sussex said the bond between a mother and son “transcends even the greatest losses” as he was honoured at this year’s ESPY awards in the US.

Last month the decision to give the Duke a sports award named after an US war hero killed in Afghanistan was criticised by the soldier’s mother.

The Duke on Thursday night received the Pat Tillman Award for Service, awarded by sports channel ESPN to individuals in the sporting world who have made significant contributions to the lives of others.

The Duke was recognised for founding the Invictus Games a decade ago to support injured and sick servicemen and women – both on active duty and veterans – who are navigating physical and invisible injuries.

The Pat Tillman Award for Service is named after former NFL player and US Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.

But Mary, the mother of Pat Tillman, last month told the Mail on Sunday: “I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award.

“There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.

“These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognised.”

The Duke opened his speech by acknowledging the family of Mr Tillman, “especially Mrs Mary Tillman – Pat’s mother”.

“Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal, and one that I respect,” he said.

“The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses.”

It comes ahead of the anniversary of the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

The 2024 ESPY (Excellence in Sport Performance Yearly) ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles was hosted by tennis champion Serena Williams – a friend of the duchess who also attended the event.

During her opening monologue, Williams joked: “Please Harry and Meghan, try not to breathe too much tonight, because this is my night, and I don’t want to be overshadowed by the accusations that you guys are taking up too much oxygen.”

ESPN previously said the Duke was being honoured for his “tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport” as the Invictus Games has “transcended borders and impacted lives across every continent”.

The Duke said: “While so much progress has been made since those first games, the world outside seems to be in an even more precarious state.

“We live in an age marked by polarisation and division. Conflicts rage around the globe. Anger and resentment towards those who are different, seem to pervade societies everywhere.

“Our community challenges that. Our community proves that unity is not just possible, but formidable.

“The beauty of the Invictus Games lies in how it brings people together, no matter one’s nationality, background, or personal struggles.

“It is a collective, built from courage and mutual respect, where athletes discover time and time again, the common denominator of their humanity.

“Having survived the crucible of armed combat, and forged through the challenge to rebuild bodies and minds impacted by conflict, they form a family.

“They exemplify the very best in all of us.”

The Duke travelled to the UK in May for a special event at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark 10 years of the Invictus Games.

He served on two frontline tours in Afghanistan and spent 10 years in the British armed forces.

But he was stripped of his military patronages by his grandmother the late Queen in 2021, a year after stepping down as a senior working royal.

The Duke said “I stand here not as Prince Harry”, but as a “voice on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation”.

“This award belongs to them, not to me. That said, it is of great importance to me to highlight these allies, athletes and their amazing families, for their achievements, their spirit, and their courage at every opportunity, especially on nights like this, in front of people like you,” he said.

He concluded his speech making a promise on behalf of the foundation.

“No matter the road ahead, we are here for you, we will leave no one behind,” he added.

Past recipients of the award include Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford, who waged a high-profile campaign to persuade the Government to provide free meals to vulnerable youngsters in England through the school holidays during the Covid pandemic.

The boyfriend of one of the three women killed in a crossbow attack in Hertfordshire has said she was “stolen from me too soon”.

Alex Klein, who was in a relationship with Hannah Hunt, the 28-year-old daughter of the BBC racing commentator John Hunt, posted a picture of the pair on Instagram with the words: “RIP the love of my life, I will never forget you, stolen from me too soon.

“The brightest light in my life. My brave queen for life. Until we meet again… I love you Hansy.”

Mr Klein also posted pictures of the couple at an investor event, as well as a picture showing them kissing and embracing in a swimming pool. “Forever with me,” he wrote.

Mr Klein’s Instagram account suggests the couple took a holiday to Tenerife in March last year.

Hannah died alongside her mother Carol, 61, and sister Louise, 25, when they were attacked at their home in Bushey on Tuesday.

Kyle Clifford, the suspected killer, was detained in Lavender Hill Cemetery, close to his home in Enfield, north London, on Wednesday night following a huge manhunt. Louise Hunt is understood to have recently broken up with him.

A woman answering the door at the home of Mr Klein, a short drive from the house where Carol, Hannah and Louise were killed, told The Telegraph: “My family are all devastated. We are in mourning, and we need space to grieve for the loss of Carol, Hannah and Louise. This has been truly terrible for all of us.”

Three close friends of Carol Hunt have said they are “together in grief” after she was killed.

Dionne Smith, 58, Abigail Phillips, also 58, and 60-year-old Lea Holloway, told reporters outside St James’ Church in Bushey on Thursday: “She was a lovely, lovely person. We can’t believe what happened. We were a four, and now there’s only three. It doesn’t seem real. We are together in grief.”

Lea Holloway said she had known Mrs Hunt since she was 16, describing her as a “beautiful person”. Speaking outside the church, she said: “We grew up together and were pregnant at the same time. 

“This is the stuff nightmares are made of. It’s very difficult. She was the nicest, kindest, sweetest person you could ever meet. A beautiful person. They were a lovely family and they [the daughters] were lovely girls.

“They were making their way through life and their lives have been taken too soon. It’s the thing of nightmares. I feel for their eldest daughter and John. I can’t imagine what it would be like.”

Hannah Hunt worked as a beautician in Radlett, Hertfordshire, while her younger sister ran a successful dog grooming business in Bushey, where the family lived.

Posting a tribute, Hannah’s colleagues said they were struggling to come to terms with the news.

In a post on Facebook, The Anti-Ageing Clinic said: “She was a fantastic therapist, and clients loved her. We send our condolences and prayers to her dad, sister and family. She was very much a part of our team. Please bear with us at this terrible time.”

Su Kehinde, 60, a neighbour of the family, paid tribute to them as she laid flowers close to their home. She said: “They were the loveliest, gentlest family. They did not deserve this. They were beautiful souls.”

Writing on Louise’s social media, Kara Gregory wrote: A beautiful, kind-hearted soul taken way too soon. I’ll cherish our memories working together; Louise, fly high sweet angel.”

Also posting on the page, Carol Lynne Oates wrote: “The nation is in shock and utter disbelief at such a senseless act. A beautiful family gone, for what? 

“My prayers go to you, Hannah and your mum. May you all RIP. I hope your dad and wider family can somehow find the strength and courage to carry on.”

Meanwhile, detectives investigating the killings have carried out further searches at a house in Rendlesham Road, Enfield, where it is believed Clifford lived.

Police staff wearing gloves and face masks were seen outside the property, which was first searched on Wednesday.

Prisoners are to be released less than halfway through their sentences amid police warnings that law and order could otherwise break down on Britain’s streets.

On Friday, Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, will announce measures that would free criminals, including some convicted of violent offences, who have served 40 per cent of their sentences rather than the usual 50 per cent.

The move, designed to ease chronic overcrowding, will reduce the number of offenders in jails by about 5,000, officials believe. 

Many prisons are housing more inmates than they are designed for, and unions have threatened strike action if the prison population grows amid fears over staff safety.

In a speech at the Five Wells “super-prison” in Northamptonshire on Friday, Ms Mahmood is expected to justify the moves by highlighting warnings by police and prison chiefs that jails are no more than six weeks away from running out of space.

She will say this risks “unchecked criminality” on the streets, including looting and police being unable to arrest dangerous criminals.

The Ministry of Justice said Ms Mahmood would “explain that if prisons were to run out of places, police cells would rapidly fill up, courts would be forced to delay cases and police unable to arrest dangerous criminals – putting the public at risk from unchecked criminality on our streets”.

It would take most police stations just three days to run out of cells if prisons fill up and they are used to accommodate the overflow of offenders, forces believe. This would mean officers have nowhere to detain arrested suspects.

Police sources warned that such a situation would be “uncharted territory”. Chiefs are understood to fear it could lead to rampant criminality as people exploit the situation and turn to looting.

A senior police source said it would become “quickly evident” officers had nowhere to hold suspects, saying: “That in itself may impact on the behaviour of the public and, particularly, criminals. 

“So that would be a very serious situation to get into and uncharted territory, and we need to avoid that at all costs.”

Only 700 spaces out of 84,000 are left in men’s prisons. If that number falls below 300, jails will have to stop accepting people sent from the courts.

“We’re operationally in trouble at less than 300 spaces left,” said a senior prison service source. “If nothing was done, I would be professionally very, very worried by the August Bank Holiday.”

Ms Mahmood will announce that from September, prisoners on fixed sentences – where they are automatically released at the halfway point – will be freed 40 per cent of the way through their jail term instead. Offenders subject to parole will be excluded.

It will include criminals convicted of violence who have been jailed for under four years, but exclude those serving longer sentences for more serious violence. Sexual offenders and terrorists will also be barred from the early release scheme. 

Ministry of Justice officials are examining ways of excluding people convicted of domestic violence even if they have been jailed for under four years, as well as those convicted of coercive control, stalking and harassment.

The move comes after Sir Keir Starmer challenged Rishi Sunak over a report in May that found that a high-risk prisoner had his release date brought forward despite a history of stalking and domestic abuse, and being subject to a restraining order.

On Thursday, the Labour leader pledged there would be “exemption categories” for high-risk prisoners as he sought to pin the blame for the crisis on the Conservative government.

“I’m beyond frustrated to have been put in this position so soon into a new administration, for a problem the last Government knew was there. They knew they weren’t addressing it – they were simply leaving it for somebody else to pick up the pieces. That is not good enough,” said Sir Keir.

Asked whether 20,000 prisoners could be released, he replied: “I’m not going to get ahead of the statement we’re going to make on all of this, but I am not going to pretend it’s not a very real problem that has been left to us.”

It is understood that as many as 20,000 prisoners would be eligible for earlier release over time. Prison service estimates suggested the measures would reduce the number of inmates by between 4,900 and 6,350. 

Sources suggested it would now be around 5,000 with the exemptions, and buy the Ministry of Justice 18 months to build more prisons and create more spaces.

Prisons at 99pc occupancy

Prison and probation chiefs have warned they need six weeks to prepare for the early release of offenders in order to put in place safeguards to protect the public. 

“You can’t leave an announcement much later than tomorrow because, if you do, we’re not going to have sufficient time to do the checks before we get into a headroom problem,” said a senior prison source.

“We’re very vulnerable to shocks in the estate. That can be big, high-profile shocks, like… the 2011 civil disorder, like a prison riot, or it could actually be much more mundane things like an outbreak of bedbugs that would require us to close the wing and fumigate it for two or three weeks. We are very vulnerable to shocks at this level.

“We have been running at over 99 per cent occupancy for the best part of two years. That puts huge pressure on our ability to reduce reoffending, to deliver purposeful activity and obviously on our staff. It definitely exacerbates issues like safety in terms of violence, it makes the estate much more tricky for us to run.”

Alex Chalk, the former justice secretary who lost his seat at the election, drew up a similar early release plan but was blocked by Mr Sunak and Number 10 amid fears that it would spark a backlash from Tory MPs and voters ahead of the election.

On Friday, Ms Mahmood is also expected to announce a review of sentencing policy that could resurrect plans drawn up by Mr Sunak and Mr Chalk to scrap jail terms of under one year and instead establish a legal presumption that they should be suspended sentences.

She is also expected to reveal how many prisoners were released up to 70 days early under a scheme introduced by Mr Sunak’s government to contain the overcrowding crisis. This will be replaced by the new automatic release at 40 per cent.  A review of youth reoffending is also planned.

Britain has been forced to clarify it has not given permission for Ukraine to use Storm Shadows to strike inside Russia in an awkward diplomatic moment for Sir Keir Starmer.

Downing Street said on Thursday, government policy “had not changed” regarding the deployment of the long-range missiles, despite comments from the Prime Minister that suggested he was loosening restrictions on how the missiles are used.

The British Government has allowed Kyiv to fire the missiles against targets in Crimea and mainland Ukraine since they were delivered last year, but has banned the country from using them to hit targets inside Russia.

Officials are concerned such a move would escalate the war, and could draw the UK into a conflict with Russia.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president – who has been meeting world leaders at Nato’s 75th anniversary in Washington – announced on Wednesday evening that he had been granted permission to use strategic cruise missiles in Russia.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Zelensky shared a photograph of himself and Sir Keir, with the caption: “This morning, I learnt about the permission to use Storm Shadow missiles against military targets in Russian territory. Today, we had the opportunity to discuss the practical implementation of this decision.”

Sources confirmed the missile has not been used this year and stressed that Mr Zelensky would have to “seek assurances elsewhere” before Ukraine could fire the cruise missiles into Russian territory. 

They added that these assurances were not a done deal.

A senior defence source said the situation was “more nuanced” than Ukraine’s president had suggested.

They added that permission to launch the strategic missile into Russia would require a sign off from three countries, one of which is the United Kingdom. France manufactures the Storm Shadow alongside the UK.

“It’s not going to happen,” the source added when asked if Ukraine will fire Storm Shadow into Russia.

On Thursday night Sir Keir told the Nato summit that he had “reaffirmed our unshakeable support for Ukraine’s ultimate victory.”

He said the alternative was “unthinkable” as he described Russia using “some of the deadliest weapons in its arsenal on innocent children”, when it struck a children’s cancer hospital in Kyiv earlier this week.

Sir Keir said Britain would provide £3 billion per year to Ukraine and speed up the delivery of military aid.

As the “generational threat” from Russia demands a “generational response”, he confirmed plans to boost British defence spending to 2. 5 per cent of gross per cent of their GDP on defence,” he said. “But in light of the grave threats to our security, we must go further.”

Earlier this year Lord Cameron, the former foreign secretary, met president Zelensky in Kyiv, where he made comments about Ukraine’s right to defend itself which were interpreted by Russia as a “dangerous” threat to use British-gifted missiles on Russian territory.

Adml Sir Tony Radakin, the Chief of the Defence Staff, later clarified that the cruise missile could only be used inside Crimea and the mainland of Ukraine.

Jamie Shea, a former Nato official, on Wednesday responded to Sir Keir’s statements on the Storm Shadow as giving Mr Zelensky a “shot in the arm”.

The Ukrainians “have to be able to strike back against those significant military targets”, he said.

But on Thursday, Mr Zelensky appeared to recognise that full permission for cross-border strikes had not been granted.

“We have got very good messages from the UK leader,” he told a Nato press conference, but said no decision had been made yet.

Meanwhile, Britain’s strategic defence review will be launched next week, setting out how Sir Keir intends to meet his spending target.

Closer defence ties

Announcing the review, John Healey, the Defence Secretary, insisted that seeking closer defence ties with Brussels would not bind the UK into a European defence force.

The Defence Secretary said, however, that Britain would seek to join more EU military programmes.

He suggested that Britain could seek to join more areas of the EU’s permanent structured co-operation (Pesco) programme.

The UK is already part of one Pesco scheme on moving military equipment across the EU.

Mr Healey said: “So we’ve proved we can do it. There are one or two other programmes which may well be programmes in which we have a unique contribution to make and we can get a great deal out of being part of a programme like that.

“That does not require any new formal agreement, it does not require a EU-UK security pact in order to do that.”

Mr Healey acknowledged that talks on the formal security pact with the EU sought by the Government were unlikely to start this year.

“In a way the declaration in week one from the new Government is seen as significant by the European Union and its members,” he said.

“You’ll know that the European Union, European Commission takes a good few months to get itself sorted out and so it won’t be until the end of the year that it’s really in a position to start doing any sort of detailed discussion with us.”

However, Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, told The Telegraph: “It is not a new assertion that the UK supports international law of a state defending itself from an aggressor. Part of that law has been the ability for the defender to use weapons to target military facilities engaged in aggression in another state, in this case Russia.

It’s just a restatement of the Government’s permission.”

Dan Jarvis, the new Labour security minister, said on Thursday morning that Britain must be “incredibly careful” to avoid retaliation from the Kremlin.

He said that “we’ve got to guard against” the risk of reaction from Moscow, but suggested the deployment of weapons “ultimately will be a matter” for Kyiv as long as international law is upheld.

Storm Shadows are precision-guided cruise missiles with a firing range in excess of 155 miles.

Ukraine has said it needs to strike military targets inside Russia to defend itself and repel Russian attacks, and it is one of the main issues that will be discussed at the Nato summit.

Ruben Brekelmans, the Dutch defence minister, said the discussions were focused on extending the distance weapons can be used and whether Kyiv has permission to use them to strike Russian aircraft before they mount attacks on Ukrainian territory.

Mr Zelensky urged his Western allies to put an end to “all limitations” placed on donated weapon systems in a speech on the fringes of the Nato summit in Washington.

A host of Western governments recently dropped restrictions on their munitions to allow Kyiv to use them in counter-strikes inside Russia to halt its offensive into the Kharkiv border region.

But this has not stopped Moscow’s air force from freely dropping glide bombs on Ukrainian cities from the relative safety of distances around 50 miles behind the frontier.

“Imagine how much we can achieve when all limitations are lifted,” Mr Zelensky said. “Similarly, we can protect our cities from Russian glide bombs if American leadership makes a step forward and allows us to destroy Russian military aircraft on their bases. This will yield an instant result, and we are waiting for this step.”

There are hopes that the introduction of US-made F-16 fighter jets, armed with Amraam missiles, will be able to play a major role in limiting Russia’s aerial dominance, if granted permission to engage with Russian aircraft near the border.

The American missiles are said to have a range of about 75 miles, depending on the conditions during which they are fired.

“The F-16s will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer,” Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said on Wednesday. The jets “are on their way, the transfers happen as we speak”, he added.

Dick Schoof, the Dutch prime minister, told Mr Zelensky he would not “put any limitations” on use of F-16s donated by his government, in a meeting at the summit.

His defence minister later told The Telegraph that there were discussions between members of the F-16 coalition to ensure the aircraft can be used to its full potential.

“The discussions now are about the range that those munitions can be used in Russia,” said Mr Brekelmans. “I think that we should also have a discussion about… maybe we should, you know, not extend the range and that we should say Russian fighter jets – when they are operational from a longer distance – that it’s legitimate for Ukraine to target those aircraft.”

While Britain pledged any F-16s to Ukraine, its air-launched Storm Shadow missile will feature as part of the talks.

Police have released an image of a man after two suitcases filled with human remains and leaking blood were left on Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.

A helicopter and the Coastguard are helping Avon and Somerset Police locate the man, who was taken to the bridge in a taxi.

He is described as black, with a beard and wearing a black Adidas baseball cap, black jeans, a black jacket and white trainers. He had a black backpack.

Officers were called at 11.57pm on Wednesday to reports of a man seen “acting suspiciously with a suitcase” on Clifton Suspension Bridge, Avon and Somerset Police said.

A spokesman said officers arrived at the bridge within 10 minutes but the man had already fled the area, “leaving the suitcase behind”. A second suitcase was located nearby a short time later.

The spokesman added: “Sadly, it’s believed the suitcases contain human remains. Our Major Crime Investigation Team has launched an investigation. Locating the man who left the suitcases and identifying the deceased are our priorities.”

Vicks Hayward-Melen, the acting Bristol Commander, described it as a “very disturbing incident”.

She said: “An immediate search of the area was carried out by officers on the ground, with the support of the National Police Air Service and HM Coastguard following the discovery of the suitcases. These searches remain ongoing.

“Initial enquiries have established that the man was taken to the bridge in a taxi. The vehicle has been seized, and the driver is helping us with our enquiries.”