POLICE have identified a man whose body was found in the River Avon in Evesham last month as being from Cheltenham.

Officers were called to the Weir Meadow Caravan Park in Castle Street on Wednesday, February 19 when a member of the public spotted a body in the river that had been caught up on a boat mooring.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service sent a boat crew to recover the man, who appeared to have been in the water for some days.

Detectives were not initially able to identity him as he had no ID or wallet on him and he did not fit any local outstanding missing persons reports.

West Mercia Police even released a nationwide appeal for the public’s help to discover his identity, including releasing photos of his clothes.

But during a police search of the river bank looking for further clues, a rucksack was found that belonged to a man in his 50s from Cheltenham which was confirmed using DNA technology.

Detective Sergeant Craig Tennant said: “It is a relief we have confirmed who this man is and his family can now start grieving for their loved one.

“I would like to thank those people from across the country who contacted us with information about who this gentleman may have been.”

His next of kin have been informed and the Coroner for Worcestershire has been updated.