Body found on Anglesey beach in 1983 identified

Conor Whooley's family said they were relieved to know his final resting place

A body found on an Anglesey beach in 1983 has been identified as a missing Irishman thanks to DNA testing.

Conor Whooley, from Greystones, County Wicklow, was 24 when he disappeared.

His body was buried in an unmarked grave at Menai Bridge Cemetery on Anglesey after being found on the beach.

But thanks to Operation Orchid - which uses DNA testing to solve cold cases of unidentified human remains - Mr Whooley's body has now been identified.

He was found at Rhoscolyn, Anglesey, and later buried locally after police were unable to identify him.

In 2013, the body was exhumed after police believed it could be a match for a missing person.

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That did not prove to be the case, but as a result of the publicity Mr Whooley's family contacted North Wales Police.

He had been missing from Dublin since 1983 and his family heard about Operation Orchid on RTÉ television in Ireland.

Det Con Don Kenyon said: "I hope that this positive news will encourage other families of missing people to provide DNA samples to help solve other outstanding cases in North Wales and beyond."

In a statement, Mr Whooley's family said they were relieved to know his final resting place and the community in Anglesey, and Menai Bridge, had cared for his grave.