Harry Bartlett went missing in 2004 aged 58

by Ed Targett

Harry Bartlett’s body lay by the railway tracks under Blacksole Bridge in Herne Bay for eight years before being discovered.

By the time his bones were found it took a team of forensic specialists and a DNA sample from his two sons to identify the remains.

The dad-of-two had been desperately worried about a pending court case about an industrial accident – and had left an envelope containing the details on the kitchen table with the note “please cancell (sic), I love you” scrawled on it, an inquest heard.

But nature had done so much to his scattered, moss-covered skeleton that the cause of death will never be known, coroner Rebecca Cobb ruled.

British Transport Police detective Byron Chamberlain, who attended the scene when Mr Bartlett’s bones were found by Network Rail contractors on April 30 this year, claimed in a statement Mr Bartlett had likely been hanging from a tree.

Mr Chamberlain said: “I carried out a forensic search and found a small amount of clothing and four keys on a key chain.

"There was a jacket and a fleece next to the body, not on it, and a belt not on the body or on the trousers. I believe the body to have been hanging from a tree.”

But neither forensic anthropologist Dr Nicholas Grant nor BTP detective sergeant David Keer agreed with the conclusion.

Police search after bones found at Blacksole Bridge, Herne Bay

DS Keer turned to Mr Bartlett’s family and mouthing “rubbish” when the statement was read.

The court heard steel fixer Mr Bartlett had been deeply worried about a county court case over an industrial accident and had wanted to drop the case, but been persuaded to continue by his solicitors.

DS Keer told the hearing: “At 4am on November 5, 2004, Mrs Bartlett found her husband sitting alone in the kitchen. When she asked him what was wrong he said: ‘I’ve made a right f*****g mess of things.

“When he went missing she found an envelope on the table containing the court case details with ‘cancell’ – spelt with two Ls – and ‘I love you’ on it.

Mrs Bartlett contacted police, concerned that he had had some kind of breakdown. She had also noticed a number of paracetamol were missing.”

His widow Diana Bartlett blasted police for losing a DNA swab taken in 2004 when her husband went missing.

Despite keys being found by the body that matched his, she had to wait weeks and her sons Craig, 35. and Jamie, 33, had to give further DNA samples before police finally confirmed they had found him.

And the BTP’s DS Keer, in answer to her question about the loss, said: “If we had had that DNA from the toothbrush taken in 2004 it would have negated the need to take DNA from Jamie and Craig.”

Coroner Rebecca Cobb said: “I am satisfied that the remains are those of Mr Bartlett.

"With regard to the clinical cause of death, I have to rule it as ascertained due to decomposition and I will record an open verdict.

“For anything else I have to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt and we frankly cannot know that it might not have been hypothermia.”