Mystery surrounds 'Margate Man' three decades on

He has never been identified despite extensive investigations

Volunteer investigators have released a new image of a man they want the public's help to identify, nearly three decades after his death in Kent.

Locate International, a charity which looks into cold cases, said the "young man" - who gave his name only as Mr Kirasawara - checked into the Jolly Roger guesthouse in Margate on 24 September 1996, with no luggage and only a carrier bag.

Three days later he was found dead in his room and, despite extensive investigations by police, his identity remains a mystery.

Mark Greenhalgh, the charity's CEO, urged anyone with information - "no matter how small" - about the "Margate Man" to come forward.

The man, who had a scar on one eyelid, is believed to have been in his late 20s, according to Locate International.

He told the owner he was Japanese and asked if there were any Japanese restaurants nearby, but there were none at the time so he visited a local KFC instead, they added.

The UK Missing Persons Unit lists his cause of death as "suspected overdose".

Locate International added the name Kirasawara may have been misspelt, and could have been Kirasawa or another variation, such as Kurosawa.

Research carried out by the charity suggests the surname originates from Southern Japan.

Evidence cited by them also suggests he may have been wealthy as the man had received expensive cosmetic dental work.

“It’s possible he may have been visiting from abroad or from somewhere else in the UK, so maybe you remember a friend, colleague, neighbour, tenant or fellow guest who matches his description who you never saw again," said Mr Greenhalgh.

“No piece of information is too small: it can help confirm something we believe, or can send our investigation in a whole new direction.”