An identity has been confirmed for the human remains which were found by the M67 in Tameside this summer.

On 3 August, engineers working by the roadside discovered a skeleton at the bottom of a concrete embankment.

When police arrived at the scene, there were no personal items around the body to help with identification.

A forensic post-mortem was therefore carried out, with a bone being sent for examination.

DNA extracted from the bone identified the remains as 41-year-old Ajani Campbell, from Preston in Lancashire.

Ajani went missing from his home on Saturday 24 January 2026 - a missing appeal was circulated identifying him as a high-risk person.

He boarded a train that same day and travelled to Manchester Piccadilly - CCTV footage shows him walking through the station around 00.30am on Sunday 25 January.

The last sighting was just over an hour later at 1.48am on Deansgate at the junction with Quay Street.

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Ajani's family said: "It is with shattered hearts that we honour the memory of our beloved Ajani, who went missing on 24 January 2026. 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.

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

"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. 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.

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

"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."