Family appeal for help over man's holiday death

A man in a thick dark coloured jacket has both his arms raised, and is smiling at the camera. He is stood on a football terrace, and people can be seen seated to the left of him, as well as in a stand behind him.Image source, Ashley Rogers
Image caption,

Josh Rogers was last seen leaving his hotel in Lloret de Mar on 20 September

  • Published

The sister of a man found dead in a woodland days after going on a solo trip to Spain has said it was not in his character to disappear.

Josh Rogers from Bloxwich, West Midlands was last seen leaving a hotel in Lloret de Mar on Saturday 20 September. His body was discovered in a wooded area of the town on 23 September.

"Somebody must have sightings of him after he left the hotel," said the 33-year-old's sister Ashley Rogers, who is appealing for information.

As a "massive fan" of Wolverhampton Wanderers, his family believe he had been looking for somewhere to watch the match on the day he was last seen.

Ms Rogers said that although police in Spain had confirmed the body was that of Josh, until DNA test results returned, the family had been told they could not see him.

"I'm feeling broken, so broken, he was the most friendly, loving person, everything is out of character, he should still be with us," she said.

He was seen on CCTV after midday on 20 September leaving the hotel with his phone, but it was not with his body when he was found, she said.

It is believed Mr Rogers had been in the wooded area, which is about 20 to 25 minutes from the hotel, for around two days before he was discovered.

'So bizarre'

The family are still waiting for his cause of death to be confirmed, but his sister said for him to "end up in the middle of the woods is so bizarre."

Mr Rogers, who flew out to Spain on 19 September, had a condition called CMT, which affects mobility and made him more vulnerable, his sister said.

She believes it is likely that her brother, who had a large Wolverhampton Wanderers badge tattoo on his arm, had asked someone for directions or chatted about football, as he would have wanted to watch the game in a local pub.

The police were doing all they could, she said, but the family hoped that by appealing on social media somebody who was in Lloret de Mar at the time might be able to provide information to help the investigation.

Ms Rogers said they were desperate for justice, and wanted to bring Josh home, say their final goodbyes and "lay him to rest with dignity."

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was providing support to the family of a British man reported missing in Lloret de Mar.

"We are in contact with the local authorities," the spokesperson added.

Get in touch

Tell us which stories we should cover in Wolverhampton

Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, external, X, external and Instagram, external.