Police are appealing for information or help in identifying a man who was discovered in the Grand Union Canal in December 2005.

 

A member of the public passing by the canal at around 13.20 on Friday 16th December saw the man in the water adjacent to Spikes Bridge Park and close to Cranleigh Gardens / Longboat Row in Southall, Middlesex.

 

The passer by then alerted two further members of the public in the park, and together they attempted to reach the man with the use of branches from nearby tress.

 

Police officers and London Ambulance Service arrived on the scene a short time later and officers were able to pull the man from the canal. He was unconscious and was pronounced dead at the scene.

 

A post mortem carried out at Hillingdon Mortuary gave the cause of death as death by drowning. The man did not suffer from any medical ailments.

 

A search of the deceased's clothing revealed that he did not have any identification on his person and DNA and dental and fingerprint records have not given the police a positive identification.

 

The man is described as Asian, aged between 35-45yrs, 5ft 07� � 5ft 10� (170 � 178 cm), medium to heavy build, with no distinctive marks, scars or tattoos.

At the time of his death the victim was wearing a blue and grey All Sports FCXTREME Jacket with a white horizontal stripe on the each arm and around the collar, a Yellow t-shirt, with the wording �MAUI 78 hono Luaa Bay Big Wave' wording printed over a desert island motif � CedarWood State make � and a white vest with the wording �white red hill continental' embossed on the chest. He was also wearing blue stonewashed jeans and blue and white adidas ADIPRENE trainers.

 

Belongings found on the man were a Black Velcro style wallet with MY MONEY embossed in red on the front with a small hoop shaped Gold Earring inside and a green lighter. He did not have any piercing and toxicology reports suggest he did not smoke.

 

Unfortunately the passer by, who initially alerted the other members of the public to the man in the canal, left the scene before the police arrived and police are keen to trace him to assist with the enquiry.

 

The passer-by is described as an Asian male, dark complexion, early 30's, medium build, with short dark cropped hair, unshaven (dark stubble), wearing a blue denim jacket, black t-shirt and denim jeans. He was last seen walking southbound along the canal towpath, away from the scene, in the direction of Southall talking on his mobile phone, possibly in Punjabi.

 

If anyone has information on the identity of the unidentified male from the canal or the passer-by is asked to please contact Ealing Borough Police on 020 8810 1212 or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

February 1, 2006