Alexander Fallon was last heard from just before the fire in 1987

Alexander Fallon, from Falkirk, was living rough in London in 1987 but kept in touch through letters and phone calls.

But no-one has heard from him for 16 years.

British Transport Police are now investigating whether he could be the man known only as "Michael" or "115" - the number on the body tag attached to him in the mortuary.

The fire which broke out under a wooden escalator at King's Cross Tube station at about 1930 BST on 18 November 1987 killed 31 people.

A fireball engulfed the ticket hall and smoke billowed out onto the street.

The victim as it is believed he might have looked

Police know the unidentified victim, like Mr Fallon, was 5 ft 2 in tall, a heavy smoker who used dentures and had just had brain surgery.

But Mr Fallon's age, 72 in 1987, was older than the age estimated for the unknown man, who was thought to be between 40 and 60.

Mr Fallon's oldest daughter, Mary Leishman, who lives in Stenhousemuir, Stirlingshire, told The Times newspaper: "One thing that makes us feel certain now that my father was a victim of the fire is that we have, with the help of the police, established that no benefits were uplifted in his name after the date of the fire.

"No money was paid out after that date, but there is no record either of my father having died.

"If my father was alive he would have been first in the queue whenever there was money to be had."

She said it was only in 1997 that the family began to consider whether he was the unknown victim.

Commemoration service

But the police at the time had focused their inquiries on another man, Hubert Rose, who has since been ruled out along with a number of other people.

The family renewed its inquiries last year after reading about the annual commemoration service for the fire's victims held at a Roman Catholic church in Islington.

Police say the only way to confirm whether or not "Michael" is Alexander Fallon is to exhume the body from a grave in Finchley cemetery and conduct DNA tests.

Camden Council, which runs the north London cemetery, told BBC London no requests had been received for exhumation.