Face of mystery man found dead on Saddleworth Moor after travelling from London

An artist's impression of Neil Dovestone - the unknown man whose body was found on Saddleworth Moor
Greater Manchester Police
Hatty Collier14 May 2016
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This is the face of a mystery man who was found dead on top of a remote hillside after travelling by train from Ealing.

The body of the smartly dressed pensioner – who police have nicknamed Neil Dovestone - was found on Saddleworth Moor in December last year.

Police today released an artist’s impression of his face – the first forensic image of the man whose true identity remains unknown.

The black and white image will by circulated all over the world in a bid to solve the mystery as to why the pensioner - believed to be aged between 65 and 70 - took the 200 mile trip from Ealing to his death on a hillside called Indian’s Head in the Pennines.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police are keen for the picture to be circulated in Pakistan, as they believe he has links to the country, according to The Guardian.

CCTV of mystery man found dead by reservoir

Grainy CCTV images of the man at Ealing Broadway station, where he is believed to have started his journey on the morning of December 11, have already been released by police.

He took a train from London Euston to Manchester before travelling to Greenfield, Saddleworth, where he visited a pub at about 2pm and asked the landlord how to get to the top of the 1,500ft Indian’s Head peak above Dovestone reservoir.

The next morning, a mountain biker found him dead lying on his back with his hands folded by his side beside a moorland path, showing no signs of injury.

All he possessed were three train tickets, including a return to London, £130 in cash in £10 notes and a small empty bottle of pills which detectives believe contained a poison he died from.

His cause of death has yet to be confirmed by an inquest.

The Guardian reports that police believe the key to the case could lie in a metal plate fitting inside his leg between 2001 and 2005 in Pakistan.

Mystery: The man travelled from Ealing Broadway to Saddleworth Moor
Greater Manchester Police

Detectives are hoping analysis of the leg injury could lead to a particular hospital or surgeon in the south Asian country to help reveal his identity.

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