Inquest of remains found in shed in Hedgerley woods (From Bucks Free Press)

Inquest of remains found in shed in Hedgerley woods

12:38pm Wednesday 21st October 2009 in

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SKELETAL remains of a man found in a shed in woodlands were probably all that was left of a man who entered Britain illegally less than a month earlier, a coroner ruled today.

The grim discovery was made on the Portman Burtley estate in Hedgerley on August 22 2007 – but forensic tests and international appeals have failed to identify the man.

The body was discovered by pig farmer Tim Ruscoe, who had been renting land on the estate.

In a statement read to an inquest at Amersham Coroner's Court, Mr Ruscoe said the shed had been pointed out to him at an earlier date by Andrew Allen, his point of contact on the estate.

He went to have a look at it at around 12.30pm to see if it would be suitable for keeping piglets in.

Noticing the door was ajar, Mr Ruscoe moved a couple of bags in order to squeeze into the shed before discovering the body.

The man was wearing a pair of trainers, three pairs of socks, a pair of tracksuit bottoms over a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, jumper, tracksuit top and bomber jacket.

Mr Ruscoe reported the incident to an estate manager before telling police in case it was a hoax.

A post mortem could not establish a cause of death, although consultant pathologist Dr David Bailey said there were no obvious signs of injury.

The body was sent for further analysis by Wolfram Meier-Augenstein, a senior lecturer at the University of Dundee.

His tests revealed the man – estimated to be aged between 25 and 30 years old – had arrived in the UK “one month or less prior to death”.

He said the man would have lived in a moderate climate at a high altitude, suggesting he could have lived in Scandinavia, the Baltic states or central Europe.

Coroner Richard Hulett said Prof Meier-Augenstein “emphasised” the fact the man had arrived less than a month before he died.

It is estimated the man had been in the shed for between seven months and two years before his remains were found.

Summing up, Mr Hulett said: “He probably entered the country illegally. It is much more likely that was the case, otherwise why was he living in these desperate circumstances? It doesn't make any sense he was living as he did.

“It may well be he fell sick. Possibly living like this, he contracted some sort of pneumonia.

“I have more than a passing suspicion he had friends with him.”

Mr Hulett said his companions probably took the contents of an empty rucksack found in the shed to avoid detection from the authorities.

The coroner admitted this theory was “speculative” but he added: “I think it's sensible speculation.”

Because the cause of death was unascertainable, Mr Hulett recorded an open verdict.

He concluded: “We have got as far as we are ever going to get, unless by chance someone came forward to identify him.”