Fresh appeal to identify forest remains

Police are trawling through national missing person files in a bid to identify human remains found in a Fife forest at the weekend.

A post mortem carried out on Wednesday has revealed the body was that of a man aged between 30 and 45.

He is believed to have been of white or Asian appearance. It is still not known how he died.

A full-scale investigation was launched after the remains were discovered by walkers in Devilla Forest near Kincardine, at around midday on Sunday.

They are believed to have lain there for several weeks or even months.

Police were called and the area was immediately cordoned off until a forensic examination was carried out in situ on Monday.

So far 11 people from across the UK have come forward with information but officers have again appealed for anyone who has not seen a family member, friend or neighbour for a while to get in touch.

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Cunningham of Fife CID said the public held the key to the unknown man’s identity.

“I’m really grateful for the response so far but I cannot rule out that this person was not local to the Fife area,” he said.

“We’re appealing for anybody right across the country to come forward.”

Distinctive outdoor clothing, including a Kalenji T-shirt, grey trousers with patches on the knees and Quechua walking shoes were found with the remains. A black and red rucksack and a pair of glasses were also discovered.

“My number one priority continues to be identifying this person and providing any family or friends with answers as to the cause of their death,” said DCI Cunningham.

“I would ask people to have a think about anyone they know of who has clothing like the items found in the Devilla Forest and who hasn’t been seen in a while.

“The death continues to be treated as unexplained at this time but if anyone out there has any information they believe is of relevance to our ongoing inquiries then please contact police immediately.”

Police Scotland can be contacted on 101.