Police struggle to identify body found near Oldham

Date published: 15 January 2019


Police in West Yorkshire are continuing to appeal for help in trying to identify the body of a man found in a reservoir near Oldham on Friday morning (11th January).

It was shortly after 11am when officers were called to Butterley Reservoir in Marsden following reports of a body in the water.

Underwater search teams recovered the body, and the man was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers have been continuing to carry out extensive enquiries into the circumstances and to establish the man’s identity.

Kirklees CID has now released an image of the man’s jacket, in the hope it will help trace the man’s next of kin or spark the memory of anyone who may recognise the jacket.

The jacket is Trespass and is blue with red around the shoulders and down the front zip.

It has now been ascertained that the male was wearing brown Timberland walking boots, a blue shirt, black jeans and was carrying a black rucksack.

He is a white male, thought to be 60-years-old, with grey stubble and grey hair, and had a growth under his left nostril.

Detective Inspector Andrew Lockwood of Kirklees CID said: “We have yet to identify the man, but our enquiries remain ongoing both in Kirklees and further afield.

“The man’s death is not being treated as suspicious, but we are continuing to ask for the public’s help in identifying him and I would ask for anyone with information to contact us.

“You could be a relative, friend, colleague or neighbour – someone out there will hopefully either recognise the jacket or the description of the man and come forward with information to help us establish who he is.”

Anyone who has any information that could assist officers in identifying the man or anyone who witnessed anything in the area is asked to contact Kirklees CID on 101, quoting reference 13190018679.