Appeal launched to identify the body of a man found in 1996

An appeal has been launched to identify the body of man found almost 27 years ago with possible connections to south Wales.

The man may have been living rough before he fell off the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, missing persons’ charity Locate International said.

His body was found on the bank of the River Avon in Somerset in May 1996 but, despite several public appeals, he has never been identified.

The man was of medium build and thought to be aged between 25 and 35, around 6ft (1.8m), with blue eyes and light brown collar-length hair.

The charity is appealing for anyone with information about the man’s possible identity to come forward and has released a new image of him.

At the time of his death, he was wearing a black sweatshirt and jacket, blue Lee Riders jeans and brown boots, and appeared to be carrying a photo of himself as a younger man.

Utopia

He was found with a range of other personal items including a piece of cardboard with a handwritten message reading “Sleeping rough, thank you”, a copy of Thomas Moore’s Utopia with no outer cover and bearing the name West Glamorgan County Council on the front page, as well as a paperback book of The Greatest Batman Stories.

Among his possessions was a penny whistle, a packet of Silk Cut cigarettes and a blank Barclays giro slip.

Dave Grimstead, co-founder of Locate International, said: “We believe he must have been visiting somewhere or travelling around, so we’re confident someone, somewhere must have interacted with him, or remembered him.

“That might have been in the Bristol area or anywhere else in the UK.

“Ask yourself if this is someone you encountered – maybe on the street, busking with a penny whistle, or while travelling around the country.

“He could well have been an interesting and memorable man to talk to, with a range of interests, so someone out there must remember meeting him.”

Locate International is asking anyone with information to contact them by emailing [email protected], by calling 0300 102 1011 or by visiting https://locate.international/clifton-suspension-bridge-man-appeal-2023/