Police seek potential witness to dead man's assault

Police have issued a CCTV image of a potential witness as part of an investigation into the death of a man in a tent.

Dorset Police received a report that a deceased man, aged in his 40s and from Bournemouth, was found in the tent in a wooded area off Holes Bay Road, Poole, shortly before 08:15 BST on 3 April 2025.

The force said the man was assaulted on Chapel Lane in Poole, the day before at about 13:15, and have issued an image of a man who may have witnessed the assault.

Det Insp Shaun Inkpen said they would like to speak to the man "purely as a witness, as they were in the area at the relevant time".

As part of the investigation, the force previously arrested a 19-year-old man from Poole on suspicion of murder.

He has been released under investigation and Inkpen said the force was continuing to keep the family of the deceased man "fully updated".

"I would like to stress that we are looking to speak to this individual purely as a witness, as they were in the area at the relevant time and may have information to assist our enquiries," he said.

"If the person recognises themselves from the published image, I would ask them to please make contact with us."

The force also appealed to anyone else with information to get in touch.

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