DETECTIVES trying to identify the body of a man found in the River Ouse plan to put a model of his face on TV in the hope of jogging memories.

Detective Inspector Steve Maud said a haunting clay model reconstruction of the man's head could be used on the BBC's Crimewatch programme, which reaches millions of viewers nationwide.

He said that although the circumstances surrounding the man's death were not suspicious and that he had no wounds, investigators still want to know how he got in to the water.

Officers believe the man, whose body was badly decomposed, could have fallen in to the river anywhere along its 57-mile length between Little Ouseburn and the Humber.

Detective Insp Maud said: "There's a potentially huge catchment area that the body could have come from. We have already circulated his details nationally, but to no avail.

"He literally could be anyone from anywhere. He could be someone who was walking by the river in Selby, or someone in entirely different circumstances."

Forensic facial reconstruction expert Steph Davy, based at the University of Sheffield, who created the model, said she hoped her work would help police trace the man.

She spent one week creating the head using the man's skull and a slow process of building up muscle, sinew and skin according to precise typical measurements for a middle-aged white man.

The man, who was 5ft 7ins tall, 11 stone and aged between 40 and 60, was found at Naburn Lock on September 12. He was wearing blue tracksuit trousers, white and red sport socks and black trainers.

If anyone can help with information, they are asked to phone York Police on 01904 669884.

Updated: 09:23 Saturday, April 03, 2004