Mystery man on the moors is not my dad

ANOTHER video image of the mystery man

Scroll down for Video

THE body of a man found dead on Saddleworth moor is not a grandfather who went missing in Northern Ireland more than 20 years ago.

The man’s only son told the Chronicle last night that the DNA sample he provided doesn’t match that of the body Hugh Toner (78), hasn’t been seen since he went missing from a hospital in County Armagh in February 1994.

Since then, his son Sean, a father of six, has conducted vigorous searches and awareness campaigns in a bid to trace his father and first became aware of the Saddleworth body when his son Cathal, (29), spotted the story on social media.

Det Sgt John Coleman of Oldham CID, has been carrying out an exhaustive investigation to identify the dead man.

At the time he saw CCTV footage of the man, Mr Toner junior said: “I thought it could be dad. It was the way he walked and lifted his head. It was so similar to my dad’s way.”

But last night Mr Toner said: “Though this is a setback for my family, we will continue to search for answers in the hope that someday we will have closure.”

Since the mystery was first reported, police have received scores of inquiries on missing persons.