Police have been out in Cirencester and Stroud trying to raise awareness of the national appeal to identify a man whose remains were found close to a main road near Cirencester last May.

Yesterday, officers were out in both towns handing leaflets as part of the appeal.

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard:

They were joined by volunteers from police cadets from Gloucester Police Cadet Unit, who gave up their time to help.

Armed with leaflets showing the facial reconstruction of the unidentified man, whose body was found directly adjacent to the A419 in between Cirencester and Stroud, police, including PC Richie Webb and PCSO Beverely Rowe, and volunteers visited a variety of places.

As well as charity shops, doctor surgeries, Cirencester Library and supermarkets, PCSO Rowe visited the lunch club, Together from Twelve, held every Wednesday at Ashcroft Church.

She said: "We are hoping to jog people's memories. We have a facial reconstruction and are hoping that someone may be able to identify the male. We are trying to piece together who he is."

Speaking at a briefing to police and cadets before sending them out, Sgt Garrett Gloyn said: "Our effort today is to raise public awareness about this chap, try to identify who he is.

"The circumstances in which he was found and the clothing that was found with him suggest that he may have been a homeless man who was frequenting the area in between Cirencester and Stroud. His clothing and his general appearance suggests that may have been the case.

"I would like you today to go out and about in Cirencester to the locations that officers have been briefed about to engage with the public and professionals at those location to raise the issue, to show the photograph that we have had put together in an effort to identify him."

Stroud District Council Cllr for Chalford Debbie Young was in Cirencester on Wednesday running the lunch club at Ashcroft Church.

"I am going to take some of these leaflets down to Chalford and Stroud where I also run lunch clubs, put them into our village shop and get them on the notice boards," Cllr Young said.

"Because the police and crime commissioner gave us money last year to set this up, its a real nice payback time, that we can really help police and help solve this mystery."

If you can help identify this man, you can submit information online at gloucestershire.police.uk/operationoctave or email Op.Octave@gloucestershire.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting 'Operation Octave'

Yesterday, police launched a national appeal to identify the man found near Cirencester.