BRITISH Transport Police are carrying out a detailed investigation into the death of a journalist found dead on the railway line about a mile from the International Station at Ashford.

Police think he was struck by a Eurostar high-speed train but have no idea how he came to be on the tracks.

He has been named as 48-year-old Tim Palmer, of Digge Court Cottages, Westwell, near Ashford. He had been employed on the senior editorial staff of several trade publications.

It is understood he had been reported missing the day he was found dead on the line, on Wednesday, November 23.

BTP Insp Terry Reene said: "We are still trying to identify the body from the fingerprints. Everything points to the fact that this is Mr Palmer from Westwell.”

An inquest is to be opened in Ashford.