Help wanted to identify beach body

Missing People, a charity for missing and unidentified people, renewed its appeal for information about a middle aged man found on West Beach Newhaven on July 12 2002.

The charity, which works with the police, coroners, hospitals and social services to resolve cases of unidentified people alive or dead, is calling on people to help identify the man whose body is thought to have been in the water for around 10 days before he was found.

The man, aged 40-60, was 5ft 8in tall with dark hair that was balding but long at the back.

When found he was wearing a grey sweatshirt over a black t-shirt, black jeans, a brown belt with brass buckle, white socks, black Kickers shoes and a Pulsar metal watch.

Missing People has checked records for clues to a possible identity, but have found no conclusive match.

Teri Blythe, head of Missing People's identification department, said: 'In most cases an unidentified person is also a missing person, so it is likely that this man will have family and friends out there who do not know his fate.

'It has been a long time since this man was discovered but we are still hopeful that this appeal will bring some vital clues so that we may finally identify this body and put an end his family's distress.'

If you have any information call the confidential 24 hour charity Missing People on Freefone 0500 700 700 or email [email protected].

For more information on Missing People or to make a donation visit www.missingpeople.org.uk.