The body of a man found in a Lancashire field more than a year ago has been identified, according to police.
Emergency services were called to Dean Brook, near to Horrobin Lane in Rivington, on the afternoon of December 7, 2023. At the time, Lancashire Constabulary said he was believed to be between 40 and 50 years old and was found wearing a ‘distinctive’ Casio watch.
The force was not treating the man’s death as suspicious. Officers released pictures of the jacket and boots he was wearing, as well as his watch, in the hope that someone would recognise them, and also issued an appeal on the Channel 5 series Cause of Death.
In an update issued on Tuesday (January 14), a force spokesperson said: “A man found dead in Rivington has been identified after a year-long investigation. We can now tell you that the man has been identified.
“His family have been informed and have asked that he is not publicly identified. Our thoughts are with them at this time.
The watch, jacket and boots the man was wearing when he was found dead
“On December 7, 2023, the body of a man was found in a field in Dean Brook, near to Horrobin Lane in Rivington. After a year-long investigation, including liaising with other forces, the NCA and Interpol, utilising appeals, local enquiries, facial recognition, fingerprints and DNA, the man was identified using familial DNA after they were located in another country.
“His death is not being treated as suspicious, and further work is being conducted to establish the cause of death.”
DI Paul Price, of South CID said: “We know that you will have seen a number of appeals over the last year, including on ‘Cause of Death’, and I wanted to be able to provide you with an update. I also wanted to thank you, the public, for all the assistance you have provided following our appeals in sharing information with us.
“Your assistance is invaluable in helping us with our enquiries, and I am so relieved that the man has now been identified and can be reunited with his loved ones.”
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