Biggleswade Man
Can you help identify a man who was found near Biggleswade 28 years ago?
On 6th February 1997, the body of a white European male was found by a group of boys playing truant from school, lying in a makeshift shelter adjacent to the A1 at Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.
Believed to have been deceased for up to two weeks, police found no identification on the body or clues as to who he might be. Foul play is not suspected, but the full Coroner’s report has yet to be released. We now understand the cause of death to be the result of a brain tumour.
He was known locally to be a homeless man regularly seen pushing a ladies’ green bike around the area, and rumoured to have visited properties, particularly farms, sharpening knives and tools and doing other work in return for food.
He did not share his name with anyone, largely kept to himself and was known around Biggleswade to be polite and well spoken. One of the schoolboys who later found the body occasionally chatted to him in Biggleswade and remembers him saying he once worked or lived in London.
A living depiction of Biggleswade Man produced by the University of Dundee Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification
He could have visited the following locations:
Biggleswade
Sutton
Langford
Astwick
Clifton
Clothing and Belongings:
A black blouson zip up jacket with a grey woollen lining
Black crew neck jumper
Black T-shirt
Black trousers
Accurist Chronograph watch with a broken silver strap
Yellow metal signet ring
Tattoo
The man had a tattoo on his right arm of a female on top of a heart with a name in the centre.
It is not recorded whether this was his upper or lower arm, but the image below suggests lower arm.
The name on the tattoo appears to have five or six letters, possibly starting with a P or B and ending with a Y or S.
Perhaps Betty, Betsy, Patty, Patsy or Phyllis?
Image of the tattoo
Enhanced image of the tattoo produced by the University of Dundee Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification
An example of a knife sharpening bike from Wikipedia
Questions you can ask yourself
We’re confident that after 28 years, Biggleswade Man’s identity can be found thanks to just one person with one piece of information.
You may have elderly family, friends or neighbours who might be able to recall meeting or seeing Biggleswade Man in the 1990s or earlier. If you could share our appeal with them or talk to them about this case, it may jog someone’s memory. The smallest piece of information could solve this case.
Do you remember seeing his distinctive ladies’ green bike in the area?
Did someone matching his description offer you a knife and tool sharpening service?
Did you work on farms in the area and remember him from those days? Maybe someone you know worked at a local farm and may have known him?
Did you frequent local cafes or homeless shelters and recognise someone fitting his description?
Did you work in a local post office in 1996 where he may have collected forwarded mail, payments, or a pension?
Do you remember someone with the tattoo pictured above?
There is always hope, and you could be the person that makes the difference.
No matter how seemingly small the information you have, it really may be the answer we need. Information provided can be submitted anonymously, and submissions will be treated in confidence. Everything we receive will be reviewed by our dedicated team of volunteers. Please do not use this form for emergency assistance in locating a person. Please call 999.