POLICE have identified the body of a man found in the River Foss, and say he appears to have drowned.

The body was pulled from the water after a member of the public spotted it floating on Wednesday morning.

Mystery had surrounded the discovery. Police had initially been unable to identify him, and had appealed for information in an attempt to discover who he was.

The man was found in walking gear, and recovered by an underwater search team from Northumbria Police at Netherwindings, near Haxby.

North Yorkshire Police spokesman Ron Johnson said: "He has now been identified as a local man. We are unable to release his details at the moment, as next of kin have yet to be informed.

"A post-mortem examination was carried out today and the cause of death was consistent with drowning."

Police made "extensive inquiries", which included checking missing person reports from different areas.

They believed the man was aged between 50 and 60 years old. He was described as about 5ft 8in tall, with dark hair and blue eyes.

He was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and was dressed for hiking in dark trousers, leg gaiters and brown hiking boots, a blue and white checked shirt, blue jumper and a green waterproof anorak.

He was wearing a dark blue "Lowe Alpine" hat. He was also carrying a green and purple Karrimor rucksack. A resident living close to where the body was found said: "The river is only about one foot deep, although it is deeper than it normally is.

"I know there's a reedbed down there because I go fishing.

"There were quite a few officers around.

"Two fire engines and an ambulance came and went. They pulled the body out and carried it off in a funeral car.

"It is a sad affair. Nothing like this has happened in the 40 years I have been in the area."

The source of the River Foss is near Huby, about seven miles north of York, and it runs through Strensall and Haxby before joining the River Ouse at Blue Bridge in the city centre.

Updated: 09:54 Saturday, March 04, 2006