Body find - police appeal for fresh information

The body of a man was discovered on waste ground between Westwood Cemetery and Westwood Way on 15 January 2013.

He had no form of identification on him and his fingerprints and DNA checks produced no results from any database in the UK.

All he had in his possession was a bus ticket in his pocket, which was dated 14 January 2013, timed 6.38am, from Leigh to Wigan.

Police were satisfied that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

No-one fitting the description of the man was ever reported missing and his identity remains unknown, despite his description being circulated nationally and internationally via the UK Missing Persons Bureau.

In February 2013, police issued an image of the man in a bid for more information, but that also failed to prompt any definitive information from the public.

The man was described as white, around 5ft 8ft-tall, with an olive-skinned complexion and short cut brown hair. From his appearance, it may be that he was not a British national but possibly of Eastern European or Middle Eastern origin.

When discovered, he was wearing blue Nike tracksuit bottoms, a blue padded gillet, a McKenzie hooded blue top with grey cuffs, a light blue Fred Perry T-shirt and blue Adidas trainers.

Detective Sergeant Graham Clare, of GMP’s Wigan Borough, said: “Unfortunately, our extensive enquiries so far have not provided the results we hoped for and more than four years later this remains a mystery.

“However, I still find it hard to believe that no one has any knowledge which could help us establish his identity and we remain hopeful that someone has the answers.

“Advances in social media technology and user numbers since 2013 mean that sharing appeals online is becoming an increasingly effective means of spreading a message.

“So I am urging anyone who sees this to please take a moment to read it and, if possible, share it for others to see.

“Despite the time that’s passed, it remains our priority to trace his next of kin and inform them of his death.”

Councillor Nathan Murray, who represents Bryn ward on Wigan Council, said: “As someone who represents the community near to where this man’s body was sadly found, I find it such a shame that his identity has never been established.

“I have followed the case with interest from the beginning and GMP have gone to great lengths to carry out extensive enquiries and spread the message regionally and nationally.

“However, with the passage of time, it’s only natural that this case may have slipped out of the public consciousness and we owe it to this man to renew the appeal to establish who he was.

“I would urge anyone who believes they have any information, no matter how small it might be, to get in touch with the police so he can be given the dignity of being remembered by name, and not just as an anonymous person.”

Anyone who can help identify the man is asked to call police on 0161 856 7962, or Crimestoppers anonymously 0800 555111.