The 61-year-old recalls how those involved in moving the two cases, which were "bursting at the seams", had acted casually, been in no hurry and even "chuckled" at times. He saw three people but is convinced a man pictured in a TV police appeal was not among them.

Mr Malone said: "After a few minutes we noticed a man and another man - a black man and a white man - carrying a suitcase across the street right towards us.

"They were struggling with the weight of it. I actually thought they might drop it in the middle of the road.

"I thought about going to help them, but something made me stop.

"And so they came over and put the suitcase right by our feet.

"I said to them - ‘That looks really heavy, what have you got in there, a body?’ - jokingly like you do.

"We were feeling good, happy, so I made a joke and they didn’t reply.

"Then they just left it by us and they walked back across the street.