CHINESE takeaways across North Yorkshire and beyond have been asked to display posters bearing the likeness of the dead man pulled from a canal near Selby.

The man’s body was pulled from the canal, at Burn Bridge, on March 20. He had been beaten so viciously that no-one knows exactly what he looked like and experts have compiled a computer-generated image of his appearance.

Oriental businesses – including restaurants and supermarkets – across the area are displaying the posters in their windows.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said the posters, which have an appeal for information in Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Vietnamese have been given to Chinese communities in North, South and West Yorkshire, Humberside and Liverpool, Manchester and London.

So far, police officers investigating the murder have drawn a blank and appear no closer to identifying who the man was.

But they believe that, given the location where the man’s body was dumped, the murderers knew the area and did not transport the man’s body a long way after killing him.

Because he was not reported missing and because of the lack of information, it is thought that the man had only been in the UK for a short while. He was also wearing a brand of trousers generally sold only in China, whereas if he had been in Britain for a prolonged length of time his clothes are likely to have been Western.

Officers have also used a Chinese broadcaster, based in London, to get their appeal for information out to the widest possible audience and will have the same message broadcast in China.

A special incident line has been set up on which non-English speakers can leave a message in their own language which will be then followed up by officers.

Anyone with information is asked to phone North Yorkshire Police on 0845 6060247, or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Non-English speakers can leave a message on 01904 669120. Alternatively people can email opcaddy@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk