At midday yesterday, a dead body was found in the River Isis at Folly Bridge.
The body was identified as that of a male. He had been seen in town approximately an hour before his body was discovered.
A police statement gave a description of a white man in his mid 30s with dark brown hair and a small, dark goatee beard. He was wearing a blue tracksuit, red top and black trainers.
The body was spotted by a member of the public in a blocked-off inlet of the River just behind Folly Bridge. Police, fire crews and the ambulance service were present at the incident earlier on today. A section of Abingdon road, as well as the walkway at the bottom of Western Road, has now been closed off to the public while the matter is being investigated by police and forensic teams.
Cherwell reporters on the scene spoke to Detective Inspector Morton who said, “We are treating this as an unexplained death. At the moment, we are looking at all the eventualities, which could include murder, accident or suicide. There will be a post mortem later today, I expect within the next few hours.”
Will Harboard, a former Lincoln student who now works behind the bar at the Head of the River pub, said “I’m really surprised this happened just down the road from a police station. It’s pretty shocking.”
The body was found opposite Hertford accomodation. Harboard said, “There was a big group of Hertford students in the pub earlier who were talking about it. They did not believe that there was a dead body in the river, they thought someone had made it up”.
Sam Hawkins, a second year Hertford student, lives in Western Road, just next to where the body was found. He told Cherwell he was “astounded” to hear that dead body had been found so close to his house, and that it was “very unsavoury”. “Someone was stabbed in central Oxford a few days ago, making this the second violent incident in a week. This is not a laughing matter, I feel very unsafe.”
Police are appealing to anyone who may be able to shed some light on the incidents that led to the man’s death to come forward
Anyone with information should call police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
