THE family of a Bury man, whose body was discovered in the River Irwell last month, have made a public appeal to help trace the pensioner's last hours.

Mr Shapland of Fieldhead Avenue, Bury, was last seen leaving his home at 3pm on January 23 with his dog, Max.

Hours later, members of Bolton Mountain Rescue Team found his body on an island at Burrs Country Park in Brandlesholme. There were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the tragedy, although a post mortem has been unable to ascertain the 70-year-old widower's cause of death.

When he left the house, Mr Shapland, a retired sales manager, was wearing a tweed flat cap, a medium length, dark green kagool, navy blue tracksuit trousers and green wellington boots.

He was carrying a black and white golf umbrella and he had a red mark, possibly from a fall earlier that day, on the left side of his forehead.

Max is a black and tan German Shepherd cross-breed of a similar size to a border collie. Mr Shapland's daughter Amanda, of Marsden Walk, Radcliffe, said: "It was a particularly wet and windy day and his exact route from Fieldhead Avenue to Burrs Country Park is unknown.

"It is likely my dad and Max went down Ainsworth Road towards Newbold Street and possibly along Walshaw Road and Tottington Road before making his way towards Burrs along Woodhill Road."

Mr Shapland has three daughters and five grandchildren. He lived alone following the death of his wife Marian in August 1998.

Anyone who remembers Mr Shapland and Max walking towards Burrs on January 23 can contact Bury Coroner's Office on 856 8097.