Inquest to open into mysterious death of David Lytton on Saddleworth Moor

An inquest into the death of a mystery man whose body was discovered on Saddleworth Moor will open today.

David Lytton, 67, from London, was found dead at Dove Stone Reservoir in Greater Manchester on December 12, 2015 by a passing cyclist.

The case turned into a mystery and it took police more than a year to identify him.

A provisional cause of death was given as strychnine poisoning – the highly toxic substance is found in rat poison.

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Mr Lytton was found fully clothed and lying on a track near the reservoir. He had no form of identification on his person.

He had no obvious connection to the area and police later established he had lived in Pakistan for ten years.

Mr Lytton flew from Lahore to London Heathrow two days before he boarded a train from Euston railway station to Manchester Piccadilly.

He then went into The Clarence pub in Greenfield, Saddleworth, and asked the landlord the way to ‘the top of the mountain’.

After his body was found, he was given the nickname ‘Neil Dovestone’ by mortuary workers at Royal Oldham Hospital.

A post-mortem examination revealed that he had a titanium plate in his leg which was only manufactured and fitted in Pakistan.

A container of medicine found on his body was also linked to the same country.

In December, a study of flight data from Pakistan to London revealed that a passenger with a striking resemblance to an artist’s impression of the mystery man had travelled from Lahore to London on December 10, apparently with no return travel arrangements.

DNA analysis confirmed Neil Dovestone was actually Mr Lytton, from London.

An inquest into his death will be held at Heywood Coroner’s Court, Rochdale, on Tuesday afternoon.