A MAN whose body was found in a garden pond on Boxing Day has been named.

Paul Humphries, 41, was found in the water at the front of a property in Chaucer Crescent in Offmore, Kidderminster about 9am yesterday.

Police say he was last seen at his home in Tennyson Way, a few minutes’ walk from where he was found, shortly before 1.30am.

Mr Humphries, who was single and lived alone, is said to have been unwell on Christmas Day evening.

Officers are treating the death as unexplained and the Worcestershire coroner has been told, with a post-mortem planned for tomorrow. His relatives have been contacted.

“Mr Humphries was found dead in tragic circumstances but his final hours are a bit of a mystery,” said Detective Inspector Leighton Harding of North Worcestershire CID.

“He would have been known to people in that area and in order to piece together his last movements we want to hear from anyone who saw or had any contact with him in the seven-and-a-half hours between when he was last seen alive and found dead in Chaucer Crescent.

“We also want to hear from anyone who may have seen Mr Humphries walking around in the Tennyson Way and Chaucer Crescent area during those ‘missing hours’.”

He is described as a white man with short dark hair and a beard. He was dressed in dark clothing on the night he died.

“We need to understand the full sequence of events and clearly if anyone has any information at all that can help our enquiries then I would urge them to call us at North Worcestershire CID as soon as possible,” said Det Insp Harding.

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting reference 104-S-261213.