Body parts police get extra time

Human remains were found in Anthony Hardy's flat

Police investigating the murder of two women whose dismembered bodies were found in bin bags have been given a further 36 hours to question a 51-year-old man.

Magistrates granted an application by detectives to continue holding Anthony Hardy at a north London police station.

Mr Hardy was arrested near Great Ormond Street Hospital on Thursday night after parts of the human remains were found at his flat in Camden, north-west London, and in bins nearby.

One of the victims, who was identified by her breast implants, is now thought to be a 30-year-old prostitute from Nottinghamshire.

Fears for Kelly Nicol are "substantially reduced"

Scotland Yard said the family of the woman, who has not been named, had been contacted and were "distraught".

The second victim, who is white and in her late teens or early 20s, has not yet been identified.

Police added that fears for the safety of a third woman, Kelly Anne Nicol, 24, had been "substantially reduced".

Officers said they had been worried about Ms Nicol, from Falkirk in Scotland, because she was last seen shopping with a man thought to be Mr Hardy on Boxing Day.

CCTV footage

She is now believed to have contacted her family, but police still want to hear from her to be certain she is "safe and well".

The murder investigation began on Monday after a homeless person found body parts of the two women in bin liners behind the College Arms pub in Camden, north London, and took them to a hospital.

A torso of a young woman and more bags containing human remains were later found nearby.

On Wednesday, detectives said they wanted to interview Mr Hardy after part of a torso was discovered at his council flat.

Police diving teams search Regent's Canal

They released CCTV footage of him after he went to University College Hospital, central London, on New Year's Day, trying to get medication for his diabetes.

Mr Hardy was not recognised by staff, although he had given his own name, and left without receiving any medication when staff tried to talk to him about putting him in a hostel.

He was finally arrested after a member of the public saw him near Great Ormond Street and called police.

Divers returned to the Regent's Canal in Camden on Friday, as police continued to search for the victims' heads and hands.

Searching drains

Scotland Yard is also looking at the possibility that there could be more victims.

They are re-examining the unsolved murder of 31-year-old prostitute Paula Fields, whose body was found in the canal in February 2001.

Detectives are searching the drains to Mr Hardy's flat and are examining the National Missing Persons database to look for other potential victims.

They will also look at the death of another prostitute in the flat a year ago.

Lost contact

Sally White's death was initially treated as suspicious, but a post-mortem examination found she had died of a heart attack.

It is thought that Mr Hardy had stayed in hostels before moving to his flat three years ago.

He lost contact with his wife and four children after the marriage broke down.

The family had been living in Australia since the 1970s and Mr Hardy returned to Britain alone.