A man's body has been found at the end of a sea wall in the Spanish coastal city of Barcelona.
The body has yet to be identified, with forensic efforts hampered by severe decomposition and scavenging by seagulls, but given the unusual size of the corpse it is strongly believed to be that of Englishman Richard Barton, who was reported missing and last seen in the port area last month.
Mr. Barton was also last seen carrying a distinctive and stylish camera many years older than himself and, according to the police, a camera matching that description was found attached to the corpse. When asked whether the camera contained any film, a police spokesman confirmed that it did. He further stated that it had been developed in an attempt to reconstruct the last hours of the deceased's life, but all that emerged were perfectly exposed neo-abstract compositions of the sea and three candid photos of an anonymous young woman on a park bench. The latter are expected to be released shortly in order to identify the woman, but due to their surreptitious composition it is doubtful that the woman even knew they had been taken, and as such will likely not be much help with enquiries.
The body was found among large industrial concrete cubes, which serve as a break for the sea wall that extends 3m above sea level for two and a half kilometres into the Mediterranean sea. A public promenade extends for roughly 800 metres along this wall, at the end of which is an unmissable sign clearly prohibiting further access and a fence only traversable with either great agility or long legs. The area beyond this point has been known by police to be used as a meeting point for drug dealers and smugglers, and as a secluded hiding spot for tramps.