Shakespeare Cliff Man

On 7th October 1980, a man was found on the beach at the bottom of Shakespeare Cliffs just south of the Port of Dover, Kent. He is believed to have jumped from the top.

Living depiction by Hew Morrisson

I recognise him

  • White, European.

  • 30 - 45 years of age.

  • 6’5″ tall and of thin build.

  • Dark brown, curly hair.

  • Clean-shaven.

  • Nicotine-stained fingers suggesting he was a smoker.

  • He had a mark on his finger but there are no more details on this.

  • He had no possessions with him.

His clothing:

  • A fawn-coloured zip-up jacket with a knitted collar and cuffs from ‘St Michael’ Marks and Spencer, size 40 – 42.

  • A grey V neck jumper, also from Marks and Spencer, size 40.

  • A blue V neck ‘Conte Cristo’ jumper size 38.

  • Grey trousers.

  • Blue ‘Oscar’ underpants.

  • A brown leather belt.

  • Grey socks.

What we know

Images created as a visual representation only and do not depict the actual clothing or items found.

I have information

Memory Joggers

  • 1st October 1980: Manchester City sack manager Malcolm Allison and replace him with Norwich City's John Bond, who in turn is replaced by Ken Brown. 

  • 21st September - A Douglas A-26 Invader aircraft crashes during an air show at Biggin Hill Airport near London, and all seven people on board are killed.  

  • 3rd October – The 1980 Housing Act comes into effect, giving council house tenants of at least three years' standing in England and Wales the right to buy their home from their local council at a discount 

  • Margaret Thatcher is the UK’s Prime Minister, while Jimmy Carter is in the White House.

  • The number 1 song in the UK at the time is The Police - Don't Stand So Close to Me. 

Questions you can ask yourself

We’re confident that after so many decades, Shakespeare Cliff Man’s identity can be found thanks to just one person with one piece of information.

You may have family, friends or neighbours who might be able to recall meeting or seeing him in the late 1970s up until he was found in October 1980 . 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.

  1. Did you live, work or regularly visit Dover or Shakespeare Cliff around October 1980?  

  2. Does the description and examples of his clothing jog your memory?  

  3. Do you remember hearing anything about an unidentified man found below Shakespeare Cliff in October 1980? 

  4. Does his description remind you of someone you knew who disappeared or was unexpectedly absent around this time?  

Contact us anonymously

TV Appeal for Dover Woman and Shakespeare Cliff Man on KMTV with volunteer Media Press Lead Scarlett Evans

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.

Sadly this is not our only case in the area, please click here to read more about Dover Woman. She was discovered on August 10th, 2000, at the base of the Langdon Cliffs at Fan Bay, just northeast of Dover town

Images of the Port of Dover, Kent and surrounding area accredited to Volunteer Press Officer Scarlett Evans