A mystery pensioner who was found dead on Saddleworth Moor just 24 hours after catching a train from London to the remote hillside died from a lethal dose of rat poison, toxicology reports reveal.

The man, who is believed to be aged between 65 and 75, sparked a worldwide search to trace his identity after he was found dead near Dovestone Reservoir in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

Detectives have been left stumped by the riddle of the smartly-dressed lone walker, who was caught on CCTV buying a one-way ticket from Ealing Broadway to Euston on December 11 last year.

Just 24 hours later, he was found dead – lying on his back with arms by his side – on the moor.

The mystery pensioner (pictured) who was found dead on Saddleworth Moor in the Pennines last December died from a lethal dose of rat poison, toxicology reports have revealed as efforts continue to trace his identity

It had been thought that the man, who was found close to the summit of Indian's Head above Dovestone reservoir, may have been a childhood victim of the 1949 air disaster in Saddleworth but this was later ruled out

Theories as to why he had travelled 200 miles to die on the remote hillside had ranged from him being a victim of a 1949 air crash at the site, to the moor having some sort of meaning to him.

However, toxicology reports have now added to the mystery – by revealing he had traces of strychnine poison in his body at the time of his death.

The poison, a white powder which is highly toxic, is a pesticide used to kill rodents and birds and is usually inhaled, injected or taken orally.

It is illegal to buy in the UK and can be fatal in humans if swallowed or absorbed through the eyes or mouth.

Detective Sergeant John Coleman said that while the toxicology report had revealed the cause of the man's death, it is still unknown as to why and how he ended up on Saddleworth Moor.

Toxicology reports reveal the man had traces of strychnine poison in his body at the time of his death - a pesticide used to kill rodents and birds (pictured)

He told The Sun: 'It's illegal to purchase strychnine in the UK.

'There is no antidote. There are still many more questions than answers with this case.'

One previous explanation was that the man was a survivor of the 1949 plane crash on the moor -which claimed 24 lives - and had returned to the scene of the tragedy to take his own life.

But that line of inquiry hit a dead end when the last-living surviving of the ill-fated British European Airways flight, respected academic Professor Stephen Evans, came forward.

Prof Evans, who spoke with detectives at Greater Manchester Police, said: 'My younger brother was killed in the crash but my parents and I were the only family with more than one survivor.

'There were Boy Scouts from the Oldham area among the first on the scene and they carried me to a farmhouse. I recall they made me an honorary member of their troop, but I no longer have any documentation of that.'

Investigations to identify the unknown man, found above the reservoir close to the summit of Indian's Head on December 12, now remain ongoing several months after the discovery.

As well as being found to have rat poison in his bloodstream, police also earlier revealed that the man was carrying an empty plastic container displaying Thyroxine Sodium - a medicine which is used to treat an under-active thyroid.

However, at the time officers said there was no suggestion that he had overdosed from the drug.

Despite still not knowing the man's identity, police thought he could have a family connection to the crash at Saddleworth Moor involving a British European Airways Douglas Dakota in 1949, which left 24 people dead

Investigation: Officers are appealing for anyone who recognises the man - seen on CCTV at Ealing Broadway train station in West London - to get in touch. Police are not treating the pensioner's death as suspicious

Mr Coleman said: 'There's no suggestion at this stage that you can overdose from it. I think it's impossible.

'But it's a drug which would give a person energy. So potentially, he could have taken it if he is walking.'

TRAGEDIES ON THE MOORS Saddleworth Moor in the South Pennines is where killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley dumped bodies Saddleworth Moor, which is situated in the South Pennines, became infamous in the 1960s as the burial site of four victims of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. The pair lured children and teenagers to their deaths, with their victims sexually tortured before being buried on the moor in Greater Manchester. In October 1965, the bodies of Lesley Ann Downey and John Kilbride were discovered at the remote hillside, having been buried there during the previous two years. Saddleworth Moor was also the site of a 1949 plane crash. The twin-engined British European Airways Douglas Dakota plane crashed into the hillside after taking off from Belfast, killing 24 people. Those killed included 11 women, six men and four children, three of whom were aged under two years, as well as a number of crew. Eight people survived the tragedy. Advertisement

The man, believed to be aged between 65 and 75, was slim, white and clean shaven with grey receding hair, brown eyes and a large nose.

He was wearing slip on shoes and had £130 in cash in his pockets and three train tickets he purchased the day before.

He is believed to have started his journey in London, before taking the train to Manchester and heading to the village of Greenfield the day before.

Detectives are unclear if he was a Londoner, or had just taken to a visit to the capital.

Officers identified the man in footage taken in Ealing, West London, of him walking 'backwards and forwards' as he went to a train station at 9am. He arrived in Manchester shortly after midday where he walked around the shops at the station where he bought some food.

The man then headed to the city centre before making his way to Saddleworth and visited a pub at 2pm, where he asked how to get to the top of the 1,500ft peak.

The landlord said he spoke with a northern accent but didn't sound as if he was local to the area. The landlord told him he wouldn't be able to climb the mountain in the dark or in heavy rain but he did anyway.

Witnesses saw him about a mile up the hill at around 4.30pm and again about three quarters of the way up. He was wearing black slip-on shoes, a blue coat and a white shirt with a collar.

His body was found the next morning, lying face-up on a boggy section of track, with head pointing towards the mountain summit, his legs together and arms by his side. The peak overlooks the moor where murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley buried their victims in the Sixties.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious and believe he lay down on the spot and died.

Despite numerous appeals, officers have been unable to identify the man, who was carrying no documentation or had any scars, marks or tattoos on his body. Searches of DNA databases have found no matches.