Anglesey body buried in 1983 to be dug up to be identified

Police are to dig up the body of a man recovered from the sea off Anglesey almost 30 years ago to try to finally find out who he was and return him to his family for formal burial.

The man was buried in Menai Bridge Cemetery in 1983 after an exhaustive police investigation to identify him proved fruitless.

Detectives hope advances in DNA testing will allow them to solve the puzzle.

The cemetery will be closed for the exhumation on 1 November.

The circumstances surrounding the death of the man, who was thought to be in his thirties, were not thought to be suspicious, detectives said.

Det Con Don Kenyon of North Wales Police said they were attempting to identify him for his family's sake.

'Emotional time'

"That process will involve carefully obtaining DNA samples and comparing them against the DNA from individuals we have identified as possible family members.

"The family has been made aware of the proposed exhumation and are supportive of the action."

He added: "This will be a very emotional time for them and they have been reassured that we will conduct the whole process in the most dignified and sensitive way possible."

Families connected to adjacent graves and those who live around the cemetery have been told about the planned exhumation.

"I am very conscious of the feelings of all concerned, families of those buried in the cemetery and the surrounding community and can assure all that due regard and respect will be paid during the process which we hope to have concluded by late afternoon," the detective said.