Birmingham Airport: Human bones found on residential street in a 'nice area' identified as missing IT worker

Human bones found last month near Birmingham Airport have been identified, an inquest has heard. The bones were found on land at Marston Green near Solihull in February.

They belonged to Mark Compton, a 52-year-old information technology consultant from Ragley Drive in Sheldon. The hearing was told Mr Compton was identified by forensic tests on his teeth. The cause of his death has not yet been established.

Area Coroner James Bennett adjourned the inquest until 19 August and did not reveal how long Mr Compton had been missing.

It's believed Mr Compton was reported missing in May 2018.

Mr Bennett said he would be asking West Midlands Police to give evidence on the circumstances of Mr Compton’s disappearance and the actions taken to find him. The coroner expressed his condolences to Mr Compton’s family.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said: "Following the discovery of bones in woodland off Digby Drive, Marston Green on 18 February, we have now identified the person that they belonged to. Our thoughts remain with their family."

The remains were initially found by a member of the public on a “patch of land” near Digby Drive in Marston Green, Solihull, which is in the shadow of Birmingham Airport. West Midlands Police said they were made aware of the grim discovery at around 5.30pm.

At the time, a local resident, who didn't want to be named, said: "It's a big shock. Things like this don't really happen in Marston Green, it's always been a nice area. The walkway where the bones were found is very popular in summer, this morning we wondered why police were here."