Guard of honour for David Boswell as police recover body six weeks after Leamington fire

A body recovered from a fire that took place six weeks ago in Leamington Spa is believed to be David Boswell, Warwickshire Police have said.

The 52-year-old was last seen working at the factory site on the day the fire started and had since been unaccounted for. 

Mr Boswell was on shift at Leeson Polyurethanes Ltd in Leamington when the blaze broke out on August 27.

Authorities had to wait until the end of September to access the site because of safety concerns.

Mr Boswell's remains were removed from the scene on Tuesday.

His family were present and joined by officers from Warwickshire Police and firefighters in forming a guard of honour.

Detective Superintendent from Warwickshire Police, Jon Marsden, said: "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with David’s family and loved ones. 

"We appreciate that their grief has been exacerbated by the delay in finding David and hope that this will at least bring some closure for them."

"The operation has been lengthy due to the enormous challenges presented by a chemical fire of this magnitude."

He added: "The Leesons site was totally decimated and needed to be systematically deconstructed by demolition experts. 

"It has been a highly complex and delicate operation to find David, ensure the safety of the search teams and to preserve, record and recover every piece of potential evidence."

"Obviously our first priority has been to locate David. 

"His family now need to know the circumstances around his untimely death and we will continue our investigations with partners to determine the cause of this fire."