POLICE may need to travel to Nigeria to confirm the identity of the 25-year-old man who fell through an Asda supermarket roof after being chased by officers.

The tragedy happened in Bexleyheath earlier this month. The inquest into the death of the man, thought to be Nigeria-born Ayodele Adetiloye Fashogbon, has opened at Croydon adjourned while more investigations are carried out.

Det Insp Sean Szerezla told the inquest that there had been difficulties in establishing who the man was, but contact had since been made through his pay-as-you-go mobile phone with the man's parents living in Nigeria, and they had been able to supply a name and age.

It may be necessary, however, for Bexley police to take DNA samples to Nigeria to match them up with the man's parents.

The tragedy happened after police were called to an incident on a bus at Broadway, Bexleyheath, on November 14.

The man fled towards Asda, jumped over a car park wall and up onto the roof. The Perspex walkway collapsed under his weight and he fell 30 feet, landing on an airport-style escalator, injuring a female shopper.

He was taken to King’s College Hospital suffering from head injuries. He died the next day. An internal police investigation is currently under way.