6 September 2010 Last updated at 06:27 ET

Man found on Sussex golf course died of head injury

The man's body was found between the 17th and 18th holes of the golf course

A young man whose body was set alight and dumped at an East Sussex golf course died from a head injury, a post-mortem examination has revealed.

The badly-burnt body was found by golfers in undergrowth at the Dyke Golf Club on the outskirts of Brighton just before noon on Saturday.

The victim was in his late teens or early-20s, and had two large tattoos on his upper arms, one of them unfinished.

The tests showed the man had five false teeth fitted into a plate in his mouth.

DNA sample

The body was found between the 17th and 18th holes of the course.

Sussex Police said he had probably died from a blow to the head, but it had not yet been established what may have caused the injury.

Officers are still trying to identify the man and have been trawling missing person reports. He is described as about 5ft 4in tall, very slim, with dark hair.

Det Ch Insp Trevor Bowles said a DNA sample had been submitted for analysis but it would only confirm an identity if the man had previously had a DNA sample taken.

Search teams

It is believed the man had been killed elsewhere and that his body had been at the course for no more than two days.

Det Ch Insp Bowles said on Sunday that initial suspicions that the victim had been mutilated and had a foot removed proved false.

He said experts now believed the man's leg below the shin had been eaten by animals.

Police want to hear from anyone who may have seen a fire or smoke near the golf club at any time between Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning.

Search teams and scenes of crime officers are continuing to work at the scene where the body was discovered.