Body on the beach…a case of foot and mouth?

The case of a missing person is described whose body was discovered almost 8 months later on a secluded beach on the Solway coast, south west Scotland. The delay in discovery was due to the foot and mouth outbreak in the UK in 2001 and this resulted in conditions favouring the development of partial mummification. The influence of the tides and involvement of HM Coastguard are discussed, along with difficulties in the identification of partially skeletonised remains.