Man found in burned-out car in Blantyre was Polish national

The car was found on fire in Greenhall Park

A man who was found dead in a burned-out car in South Lanarkshire has been identified by police as a Polish national.

Rafal Michal Lyko, 36, was found in the Mercedes in Blantyre on Monday. The fire is being treated as suspicious.

Police said he lived in Poland and was visiting relatives in the Tayside area.

The car was stolen from Edinburgh on 24 January, but had been in East Kilbride on Monday morning. It was found on fire in Blantyre's Greenhall Park.

Detectives are trying to piece together Mr Lyko's last known movements and have been looking through CCTV footage and speaking to residents in the East Kilbride and Blantyre areas.

Det Ch Insp David Scott, senior investigating officer, said: "Now we have identified Rafal as being the man in the car we are now trying to put together his last known movements and try to ascertain why he was in the South Lanarkshire area.

"We can also confirm that specially-trained officers are providing Rafal's family support at this very difficult time.

"What we do know is that Rafal travelled from his home in Poland to Tayside via Edinburgh Airport on Saturday 9 February to stay with relatives. On Monday 11 February, he travelled to South Lanarkshire.

"We believe he was in the Blairbeth area of Rutherglen, as was the stolen black Mercedes GLE vehicle involved, shortly before it was found on fire with Rafal within on the evening of Monday 11 February."

The man's body has been found in a burnt out car in Greenhall Park, Blantyre

He added: "I am continuing to appeal to anyone who may have seen that Mercedes GLE or who knows Rafal and where he was during the day on Monday 11 February to contact police.

"His family have been left devastated by their loss. Rafal had a young son with his partner in Poland and we need to get answers for his family and establish how this young man lost his life."

The car was stolen from the Oxgangs Road area of Edinburgh and was in the Morningside area for several days.