‘Mile End Man’: Image released in bid to solve 48-year Tube station mystery of John Doe death

In 1975 a man died after being struck by a train at Mile End London Underground station, and he has still not been identified. A new artist’s impression of the victim has been released by the charity Locate International, nearly 50 years on, in a bid to solve the mystery.

The fatal incident happened at about 9.35am Thursday May 8, 1975. The victim is believed to have been in his 40s or 50s, about 6ft tall and white, with black receding hair. He was clean shaven and had false teeth, possibly only for his upper jaw.

He was dressed in blue trousers, a light blue shirt, a navy blue blazer with yellow metal buttons from Burton, a white vest, Y-front underpants, long grey socks and black leather lace-up shoes in a size 7 from Moss Bros.

The man was wearing a metal watch from the Tudor Oyster brand created by Rolex. It was model number 7804, which suggests it was produced in 1951 or 1952, and serial number 86414. It would have cost the equivalent of £1,000-£2,000 today. The charity would like to speak to any watch experts who could help.

He was carrying a metal Ronson Varaflame lighter, suggesting he “may have been a man of means at some point”, as well as a ballpoint pen embossed with “PTL Motors – Western Road E17”. Locate International said it is keen to hear from anyone who had a connection to PTL Motors in Walthamstow, or to garages in the area in the 1970s.

The charity also wants to hear from anyone who worked for the Underground or at Mile End station in the 1970s, as well as anyone who witnessed the incident.

Civilian investigator Victoria Shepherd said: “If he was still alive, Mile End Man and his contemporaries would be aged around 90 now. That means this really might be the last chance to identify him.

“The chances are that anyone who can identify him is at least 60 years old now. So if you’re in that age group, please have a look at the image in case you recognise him. And if you’re younger, please share it with anyone older who may be able to help.”

Giving context to help jog memories, the charity said that five days earlier, on Saturday May 3 1975, West Ham won the FA Cup final by beating Fulham 2-0, with Alan Taylor scoring twice. The team led a victory parade through the streets of Newham, near Mile End, on Sunday May 4.

Harold Wilson was prime minister, in his second brief term, and Mud were at number one in the UK charts with Oh Boy.

Dave Grimstead, Locate International’s CEO and co-founder, said: “Even though this happened in 1975, we’re still confident we can reunite Mile End Man with his real name. It’s never too late. All it takes is for one person to recognise one detail, or to share it with someone who might, and it can send our investigation into a new direction.”

If you have any information, you can contact Locate International by emailing [email protected], calling 0300 102 1011 or visiting its website.