THE unidentified victim of a horrific murder, who may have had links to the eastern region, will be buried on Monday. The man's body was found burning in a field in Upton, near Peterborough, on December 21 last year.

THE unidentified victim of a horrific murder, who may have had links to the eastern region, will be buried on Monday.

The man's body was found burning in a field in Upton, near Peterborough, on December 21 last year.

He had been stabbed and shot before being set alight. Despite months of trying to track down the man's identity, Cambridgeshire Police are still no closer to discovering who he was.

A spokesman for the force said: "Forensic tests indicate that the victim was born in the Ukraine and lived in Britain, possibly on the east coast, before he died."

The man will be buried in the Eastfield Cemetery in Peterborough at 2pm on Monday, with police still keen to hear from anyone with information about it. The extensive inquiry has included following up possible leads in Suffolk.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Bert Deane, who is leading the investigation, said: "The decision to bury the body of this man without knowing his identity is an unusual step and is a first for Cambridgeshire.

"It is tragic that this man is to be buried without any family and friends to say goodbye to him – especially as they have no idea of his fate.

"We are still keen to hear from anyone who have a clue about this man's identity, and we would urge them to contact police.

"Any information, no matter how small, could be invaluable in helping us discover who this man is and what he was doing in the months leading up to his death.

"All calls will be treated in the strictest confidence."

The man was white, with possible Asian or Middle Eastern features, aged between 30 and 45, and of stocky build with dark hair.

Anyone with information should call the Cambridgeshire Police incident room on 01733 424242, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.