POLICE have issued a final appeal to identify a man found dead in a river before he is at last laid to rest.

The man, thought to be aged in his 40s, was discovered in the River Lea in December 2009.

The Met has issued several previous appeals and artist impressions of the man but no-one has been able to establish who he is.

The force has now made a computer generated image as a last-ditch attempt to identify him and said it is likely to close the case unless anyone comes forward.

His corpse was found near Abbey Lane in Stratford, close to the Olympic Park, but he may be from Waltham Forest as the river runs through the borough before reaching that area.

A post-mortem in December 2009 concluded he died from drowning.

A Met spokesman said: "The death was initially treated as unexplained and then, following further enquiries, treated as non-suspicious."

Detective Sergeant Gerard Healy, of Newham Police, added: "In the intervening three years, officers have worked tirelessly to trace this man's identity via numerous media appeals, and by exhaustive lines of enquiry, some international which have extended as far as Australia.

"We remain optimistic that this anniversary appeal along with the release of a new computer generated image, will finally lead to the identification and the dignified burial that this man deserves."

He is described as white, 5ft 9ins and of medium build. He had blue eyes, collar length black/greying hair receding on the top and he was unshaven.

There are no tattoos on his body, although the man has two, one-centimetre, surgical scars on the front of the left knee and two piercings in the left ear.

He was dressed in a white Urban Spirit t-shirt with the number 37 on the front, a blue 'Originals' jumper, black 'Urban Spirit' jeans in a size 30, white socks and a pair of size nine black 'Groundwork' safety boots.

Anyone with information is urged to call the incident room at Newham Police on
020 8217 4383.