Family pay tribute as human remains near M67 identified as missing man

The family of a man who went missing from Preston have paid tribute to him after human remains found near the M67 in Tameside were formally identified as his.

Police were called shortly after 11pm on Monday 3rd August 2026, after bridge inspectors working on the railway bridge over the M67 in Hyde discovered a skeleton at the bottom of the concrete embankment.

There were no personal belongings or other items found with the remains that could help officers establish the man's identity, Greater Manchester Police said.

A forensic postmortem was carried out, and a bone was sent for examination. DNA was extracted from the bone, and the remains were identified as 41-year-old Ajani Campbell, from Preston in Lancashire.

Enquiries showed Ajani had been circulated as a high-risk missing person after he left his home address on Saturday 24th January 2026.

It was also established that he boarded a train in Preston that same day and travelled to Manchester Piccadilly.

Train station footage captured him walking through the station at 12.30am on Sunday 25th January 2026.

He was then tracked into the city centre, and captured on CCTV on Deansgate, at the junction with Quay Street, at 1.48am, police said.

This was the last confirmed sighting of Ajani.

His family paid tribute to him, saying it was "with shattered hearts" that they honoured his memory.

"While the agonising search to find Ajani has come to an end, the reality of losing him has left us in a grief too deep for words," the family said.

"Ajani was a force of nature - funny, caring, and incredibly loving. He was a loving son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend," they said.

"He had a passion for life that showed in everything he did, whether he was working out, exploring the great outdoors, or dropping bars and sharing his gift for rapping," the family said.

"He possessed a deeply spiritual soul that connected him to the world and the people around him in a profound way. To know Ajani was to love him, and he left an unforgettable mark on every single person he met," they said.

"We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who helped search, prayed, and stood by us during this darkest chapter," the family said.

"Though his journey on this earth was cut devastatingly short, his light will live on forever in our hearts. Rest easy, our beautiful boy. You are loved beyond measure," they said.

Detective Sergeant Ian Parker, from the Tameside district, said officers' thoughts remain with Ajani's family and loved ones "as they continue to come to terms with this tragic news".

"Thanks to extensive enquiries, specialist forensic work and DNA analysis, we have now been able to formally identify the remains as Ajani Campbell, who was reported missing from Preston back in January," DS Parker said.

"We have been working closely with Lancashire Constabulary since we picked up this investigation, sharing information and assisting each other with establishing facts," he said.

"While this provides some answers for his family, our investigation remains ongoing, and we are continuing to piece together Ajani's movements in the hours before he was last seen in Manchester city centre," DS Parker said.

"We are keeping an open mind regarding the circumstances surrounding Ajani's death, and at this stage we are not ruling out any lines of enquiry," he said.

"We know Ajani was last captured on CCTV on Deansgate in the early hours of Sunday 25th January 2026, and we are continuing to work to establish exactly what happened after that point," DS Parker said.

Police have released an image of Ajani coming off an escalator at Manchester Piccadilly train station at 12.25am on Sunday 25th January 2026.

"I would urge anyone who may have seen Ajani in the station, in Manchester that weekend, or who has any information which could assist our investigation, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to get in touch with us," DS Parker said.

Officers are appealing for information that could help them piece together a timeline of Ajani's movements, and establish how he came to be under the bridge near the M67.

A dedicated Major Incident Public Portal has been set up for anyone who can assist the investigation.

Information can also be submitted via 101, quoting the log number, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.