A badly decomposed body left lying in woods for up to a year has been identified.

Police say the man, found near a well-used footpath at the end of Canal Road, Higham, was 46-year-old Colin Barnes, from Croydon.

Officers are not treating his death as suspicious.

Speaking after the body was found on April 7, detective chief inspector Dave Withers, who is leading the inquiry, said the rotting remains could be that of a homeless man who had been living in the woods.

It could have been there for up to a year, he added.

The skeletal remains needed detailed forensic analysis before police could identify the man.