A CORONER has left an open conclusion in the case of a man who washed up on the beach at Workington over a year ago.

The body was spotted at 6.21pm on September 28, 2023, by two walkers who were on a cliff above the beach at Slag Bank.

In a hearing held on October 17, 2024, in Cockermouth, Assistant Coroner for Cumbria, Dr Nicholas Shaw, said that the walkers called the police, who then quickly retrieved the body due to fading light and a rising tide.

A statement submitted to Cockermouth Coroner’s Court by Detective Inspector Duncan Brooker of Cumbria Constabulary, said that the body had 'clearly been in the water for a considerable length of time'.

Upon inspection, the man was wearing blue jeans, over burgundy jogging bottoms, with a brown or black belt.

He was also wearing grey underwear, with the words 'Original Brand' written on the waistband.

DI Brooker said that the man’s torso was 'not fully intact', and the body had no arms.

The body was taken to West Cumberland Hospital, where the following day, DI Brooker went to investigate further, but found no items of identification in the man’s pockets.

Due to the 'advanced state of decomposition', his clothing was not removed.

The man’s jeans were a 38-inch waist, and a 32-inch leg.

The body was measured at six feet four inches, which DI Brooker thought seemed unusually tall given the 32-inch leg measurement, and speculated that the body had became elongated due to the lack of tissue remaining.

DNA samples were successfully obtained from a tooth and muscle sample and uploaded to the UK, and later to Interpol's missing persons database, but to date, no matches have been found.

DI Brooker said he has made online searches to try to identify a particular clothing manufacturer or outlet, but the generic 'Original Brand' label has rendered searches 'fruitless'.

Dr Fergus Young, who carried out a post-mortem at Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, could not ascertain a cause of death, only that the 'extensive loss of tissue', could be from various causes, and cited prolonged immersion, animal predation, and injuries sustained in the water.

Dr Shaw said that he could not answer the four statutory questions of who, where, when and how the man died, and concluded the hearing with an appeal for information.

He said: "We do know he was a man, and we can assume his height was a bit less than six foot four inches.

"He may be of average height and that’s about all we can say.

"Despite investigations, his identity remains unknown, and the cause of death remains unascertained.

"It is hoped further information may appear in the future, however for now I must leave an open conclusion.

"That means that if further information does come to light, this hearing can be reopened.

"Hopefully someone reading this may come forward."